Moon phases in May 2021
All 31 days, computed from the ephemeris rather than copied from another calendar: the Moon’s sign, the exact instant it changes sign, and the lit fraction of the disc. Shown in your own timezone.
- New MoonMay 1121.3° Taurus
- Flower MoonMay 265.4° Sagittarius
Day by day
The four quarter instants are marked on the day they fall; every other day carries the interval it is in. Four of the eight phases are moments and four are stretches, which is the one thing most calendars leave out.
| Date | Phase | Sign | Illumination | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 1 | Waning Gibbous | Capricorn | 75% | ||
| Sun 2 | Waning Gibbous | Capricorn→Aquarius | 64% | ||
| Mon 3 | Last Quarter | Aquarius | 54% | ||
| Tue 4 | Waning Crescent | Aquarius | 43% | ||
| Wed 5 | Waning Crescent | Aquarius→Pisces | 33% | ||
| Thu 6 | Waning Crescent | Pisces | 24% | ||
| Fri 7 | Waning Crescent | Pisces→Aries | 16% | ||
| Sat 8 | Waning Crescent | Aries | 10% | ||
| Sun 9 | Waning Crescent | Aries→Taurus | 5% | ||
| Mon 10 | Waning Crescent | Taurus | 1% | ||
| Tue 11 | New Moon | Taurus | 0% | ||
| Wed 12 | Waxing Crescent | Taurus→Gemini | 0% | ||
| Thu 13 | Waxing Crescent | Gemini | 3% | ||
| Fri 14 | Waxing Crescent | Gemini | 6% | ||
| Sat 15 | Waxing Crescent | Gemini→Cancer | 12% | ||
| Sun 16 | Waxing Crescent | Cancer | 19% | ||
| Mon 17 | Waxing Crescent | Cancer→Leo | 27% | ||
| Tue 18 | Waxing Crescent | Leo | 37% | ||
| Wed 19 | First Quarter | Leo→Virgo | 47% | ||
| Thu 20 | Waxing Gibbous | Virgo | 58% | ||
| Fri 21 | Waxing Gibbous | Virgo | 68% | ||
| Sat 22 | Waxing Gibbous | Virgo→Libra | 78% | ||
| Sun 23 | Waxing Gibbous | Libra | 87% | ||
| Mon 24 | Waxing Gibbous | Libra→Scorpio | 94% | ||
| Tue 25 | Waxing Gibbous | Scorpio | 99% | ||
| Wed 26 | Full Moon | Scorpio→Sagittarius | 100% | ||
| Thu 27 | Waning Gibbous | Sagittarius | 98% | ||
| Fri 28 | Waning Gibbous | Sagittarius→Capricorn | 94% | ||
| Sat 29 | Waning Gibbous | Capricorn | 87% | ||
| Sun 30 | Waning Gibbous | Capricorn→Aquarius | 78% | ||
| Mon 31 | Waning Gibbous | Aquarius | 69% | ||
Rows are UTC calendar days. The exact times follow the timezone setting above, so a time close to midnight can belong to the neighbouring day in your own zone.
- 1
- Full moons
- 1
- New moons
- 13
- Sign changes
- 100%
- Brightest night
The Moon passes through 14 signs this month, in order: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius. It changes sign 13 times — roughly every two and a third days, though not evenly, because the Moon’s speed varies about twelve per cent over an orbit.
A lunar eclipse this month
The full moon on May 26 is a Total lunar eclipse, with 100% of the disc inside the Earth’s umbra at maximum, at Sagittarius. An eclipse can only fall on a full moon, because it needs the Moon exactly opposite the Sun and close to a node — which is also why they arrive in pairs a fortnight either side of a solar eclipse.
Frequently asked questions
When is the full moon in May 2021?
There are 1 in May 2021. The exact instants are in the table above, shown in your own timezone, with the degree and sign each one falls on.
When is the new moon in May 2021?
There are 1 in May 2021, listed to the minute in the table above along with every other phase of the month.
What timezone are these times in?
Your own, resolved in your browser. The rows are UTC calendar days, so an instant close to midnight can belong to the neighbouring day once converted — the table marks those with a small +1 or −1. You can switch the whole page to UTC if you want to compare it against a site that publishes UTC.
What sign is the Moon in during May 2021?
It moves through 14 of them, changing sign 13 times. The exact instant of each change is in the sign column above. The Moon spends about two and a third days in a sign, which is why it covers the whole zodiac in a month while the Sun takes a year.