New moon of May 2026 brings stunning views of the Milky Way, Venus and Mars
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May’s new moon arrives this weekend, ushering in several dark moonless nights, perfect for exploring the majesty of our Milky Way, the twinkling constellations of spring, and the ever-changing procession of the planets.
that of May new moon The phase occurs at 4:01 p.m. EDT (2001 GMT) on May 16, as the moon passes near the sun in the daytime sky.
The nights surrounding the new moon present beautifully dark skies for stargazers looking to navigate the sea of stars, nebulae and the galaxies that haunt the realm after sunset.
Visible planets
Turn your gaze west at sunset to spot Venus shining like a brilliant “evening star” just over 20 degrees above the horizon – about the width of two clenched fists held at arm’s length against the night sky.
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Jupiter still shines 20 degrees to the upper left of Venus, with Beaver And Polluxthe brightest stars in the world Gemini constellationshining above. A pair of 10X50 binoculars will reveal a bank of star-like objects surrounding the gas giant. These are the largest natural satellites of Jupiter Io, Europe, Ganymede And Callistowhich are collectively known as Galilean moons in honor of their discoverer, the famous Italian astronomer Galilee Galilee.
Early risers are treated to a completely different distribution of planets, because Saturn shines above the eastern horizon in the hour before dawn, with March rising to the lower left, chased by the golden light of the coming sun. Saturn and Mars will hang less than 20 degrees above the horizon at sunrise, so be sure to find a spot with a clear view to the east if you want to catch the planetary duo before they get lost in the sun’s glare.
Stars and constellations
May’s new moon is the perfect time to spot a trio of celestial animals glowing in the spring sky. Our first target is the large lion depicted in the Leo constellationwhose mane and chest are represented by a sickle-shaped formation stars which shines above the southwest horizon after sunset in May, with Regulus at its lowest point.
The 2nd-century Greek philosopher Ptolemy cataloged the constellation nearly 2,000 years ago, seeing in it the Nemean Lion from the mythological tale of Heracles, whom the hero was tasked with killing as the first of his 12 labors.
Star map showing the locations of the constellations Lynx, Leo, and Leo Minor in the spring night sky. | Credit: Created by Anthony Wood in Canva.
Next, look 10 degrees above the sickle head of Leo to find the faint stars in the constellation Leo Minor, the “little lion.” This constellation was created by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1690. As a result, there are no grand mythological tales of its origin, although it remains a pretty fixture between the larger stellar citadels of Leo and Leo. the Great Bear.
At the bottom right of Léon Mineur is the magnitude +3.25 star Alpha Lyncis, which forms the leftmost point of the constellation Lynx – a serpentine formation of eight stars that extends to the right above the northwest horizon for viewers in the Northern Hemisphere. The dark sky surrounding the new moon makes Lynx much easier to track, as it is often hidden in the glare of Earth’s satellite.
An annotated photo of the Milky Way taken by photographer Josh Dury, showing the stars of the Summer Triangle asterism alongside prominent nebulae. | Credit: Josh Dury
Our final target is the light core of the Milky Waywhich offers a magnificent spectacle between midnight and dawn in mid-May, as it rises above the southeastern horizon. A good way to spot the Milky Way it is by locating the three bright stars Altaïr, Vega And Denebforming a famous asterism known as Summer triangle above the eastern horizon at this time of year
The dense star field and dark interstellar dust clouds of the galactic core appear as a band of light passing through Deneb and between Vega and Altaïr, as it tumbles toward the horizon.
Learn more: Learn the Night Sky Without an App: May’s Easiest Star Hops for Beginners
Natural light pollution will be kept to a minimum, so why not also try to get away from the bright city lights to make the most of the monthly pocket of darkness? You can use a trusted website like DarkSky.org to find your ideal stargazing location, as well as astronomy applications on smartphone as Stellarium Or Starwalk 2 to find – or identify – breathtaking night sky objects and constellations in the night sky.
Want to capture your own magnificent views of our galaxy? So be sure to read our beginner’s guide to photographing the Milky Wayas well as our summaries of best cameras And lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you would like to share your dark sky astrophotography with Space.com readers, please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
