Daily phases · UK local time

May 2026 Moon calendar for the UK

Check the Moon's daily phase and illumination throughout May 2026, together with exact new Moon, quarter and full Moon event times.

How the Moon changes during May 2026

At 12:00 local time on 1 May, the Moon is a full moon at 100% illumination and is waxing. By 31 May, it is a full moon at 100% illumination and is waning.

This civil month contains 5 exact principal phase events. Daily values represent the Moon at local noon; event rows below retain their precise astronomical times.

This fixed calendar uses Europe/London. Choose another time zone for this month →

Monthly view

May 2026

Daily state at 12:00 in Europe/London

Moon phase calendar for May 2026; weeks begin on Monday
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
				1Full Moon100%Age 14.0 dSelected date	2Full Moon99%Age 15.0 d	3Full Moon97%Age 16.0 d
4Waning Gibbous93%Age 17.0 d	5Waning Gibbous88%Age 18.0 d	6Waning Gibbous81%Age 19.0 d	7Waning Gibbous73%Age 20.0 d	8Last Quarter64%Age 21.0 d	9Last Quarter54%Age 22.0 d	10Last Quarter44%Age 23.0 d
11Last Quarter34%Age 24.0 d	12Waning Crescent24%Age 25.0 d	13Waning Crescent16%Age 26.0 d	14Waning Crescent8%Age 27.0 d	15New Moon3%Age 28.0 d	16New Moon0%Age 29.0 d	17New Moon1%Age 0.6 d
18Waxing Crescent4%Age 1.6 d	19Waxing Crescent10%Age 2.6 d	20Waxing Crescent19%Age 3.6 d	21Waxing Crescent29%Age 4.6 d	22First Quarter39%Age 5.6 d	23First Quarter50%Age 6.6 d	24First Quarter61%Age 7.6 d
25Waxing Gibbous70%Age 8.6 d	26Waxing Gibbous79%Age 9.6 d	27Waxing Gibbous86%Age 10.6 d	28Waxing Gibbous92%Age 11.6 d	29Full Moon97%Age 12.6 d	30Full Moon99%Age 13.6 d	31Full Moon100%Age 14.6 d

Select any day to update the preview here. Today, your selection and exact phase events have separate markers.

Day-by-day detail · London horizon

Phase, illumination, lunar age, rise and set

Phase, illumination and age are calculated at 12:00 Europe/London. Moonrise and moonset use a central London observer; a dash means no matching horizon crossing occurs during that civil date.

Daily values at 12:00 UK local time; rise and set for London
Date	Phase	Illumination	Lunar age	Moonrise	Moonset
1	Full Moon	100%	14.0 days	20:45	04:55
2	Full Moon	99%	15.0 days	21:59	05:12
3	Full Moon	97%	16.0 days	23:10	05:35
4	Waning Gibbous	93%	17.0 days	—	06:06
5	Waning Gibbous	88%	18.0 days	00:12	06:48
6	Waning Gibbous	81%	19.0 days	01:04	07:43
7	Waning Gibbous	73%	20.0 days	01:43	08:49
8	Last Quarter	64%	21.0 days	02:11	10:01
9	Last Quarter	54%	22.0 days	02:32	11:17
10	Last Quarter	44%	23.0 days	02:48	12:34
11	Last Quarter	34%	24.0 days	03:02	13:51
12	Waning Crescent	24%	25.0 days	03:14	15:11
13	Waning Crescent	16%	26.0 days	03:26	16:33
14	Waning Crescent	8%	27.0 days	03:39	18:00
15	New Moon	3%	28.0 days	03:55	19:32
16	New Moon	0%	29.0 days	04:17	21:07
17	New Moon	1%	0.6 days	04:47	22:37
18	Waxing Crescent	4%	1.6 days	05:33	23:52
19	Waxing Crescent	10%	2.6 days	06:38	—
20	Waxing Crescent	19%	3.6 days	08:00	00:45
21	Waxing Crescent	29%	4.6 days	09:29	01:21
22	First Quarter	39%	5.6 days	10:56	01:45
23	First Quarter	50%	6.6 days	12:19	02:02
24	First Quarter	61%	7.6 days	13:37	02:16
25	Waxing Gibbous	70%	8.6 days	14:52	02:27
26	Waxing Gibbous	79%	9.6 days	16:06	02:38
27	Waxing Gibbous	86%	10.6 days	17:20	02:50
28	Waxing Gibbous	92%	11.6 days	18:34	03:03
29	Full Moon	97%	12.6 days	19:48	03:19
30	Full Moon	99%	13.6 days	20:59	03:39
31	Full Moon	100%	14.6 days	22:04	04:08

The month's brightest nights

2 full Moons in May 2026

Flower Moon

A broad spring name marking the abundance of flowers in May.

Exact instant: 1 May 2026 at 18:23 BST
Brown lunation: 1278

Read the Flower Moon guide

Flower Moon · Blue Moon

A broad spring name marking the abundance of flowers in May.

Exact instant: 31 May 2026 at 09:45 BST
Brown lunation: 1279

Why this is a Blue Moon

How rise and set vary across the UK

On the date of the first full Moon, longitude and latitude shift the horizon times. These representative cities all use Europe/London civil time.

Moonrise and moonset on 2026-05-01, in each location's UK local time
Location	Moonrise	Moonset
London	20:45	04:55
Cardiff	20:58	05:08
Belfast	21:25	05:07
Edinburgh	21:21	04:50
Lerwick	21:41	04:21

Traditional lunar rhythm · practical UK season

Garden windows for this month

Tender crops move outside as local frost risk passes. Use local soil, weather and frost conditions to decide whether each task is timely in your garden.

17–23 5/2026

Sowing

Direct-sow beans, squash, cucumbers and sweetcorn when soil is warm, with protection ready for cold nights.

1, 24–30 5/2026

Planting

Harden off and plant tomatoes, courgettes and pumpkins after local frost risk has passed.

2–9, 31 5/2026

Harvesting

Pick asparagus, rhubarb, salads and early herbs.

10–16 5/2026

Pruning

Thin crowded soft-fruit shoots and train new growth on supported fruit.

Use this monthly calendar

Calculation method