May 2026 will be special because it will have two full moons: on May 1 and 31. As scientists note, such a phenomenon is quite rare and occurs every few years.
The reason is related to the Moon’s motion. The Moon orbits the Earth in about 27.3 days, but because the Earth is moving, the period between full moons is about 29.5 days. If the month has 31 days and the full Moon falls on the first day, then that same month also has a second full Moon on the last day.
Such a month is a good opportunity to understand the features of the lunar calendar. The Moon has long been used to calculate time, but the lunar months do not completely coincide with the year, which is why the dates of some holidays change. At the same time, the full Moon is not very desirable for astronomers. Although the entire disk of the Moon is visible at that time, its brightness interferes with observing the stars.
