Don't miss it! A rare blue moon is set to light up the sky

The blue moon is almost here, and while it won't actually be blue, it will look smaller.

On Sunday, May 31, a blue moon will occur, meaning there will be two full moons in May. May's Flower Moon already occurred on the first day of the month, and the blue moon will occur on the last day of the month.

Blue moons occur only once every two to three years, but what makes this moon even rarer is that it is a micromoon, which occurs when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth during the month.

Here's what to know about May's blue moon.

When will May's blue moon peak?

The moon is set to peak on Sunday, May 31, at 4:45 a.m. EDT, according to the Farmer's Almanac.

While the moon will peak early Sunday morning, it will still look full a few days before and after it peaks.

What causes a blue moon?

The phenomenon happens because, unlike a calendar month, which is around 30 to 31 days, except for February, the moon's lunar cycle is around 29.5 days, according to NASA.

So, once every two to three years, a full lunar cycle will occur within a month, giving us a full moon at the beginning of the month and another at the end of the month, which is what we know as the blue moon.

How often do blue moons occur?

Blue moons occur every two to three years.

What is a micromoon?

A micromoon is a phenomenon that occurs when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth during that month, according to NASA. The moon could be around 251,000 miles away from our planet.

Because of the distance, the moon might appear smaller than usual.

When is the next blue moon?

The next time two full moons will take place in the same month will be in December 2028, according to Time and Date.

2026 full moons

The moon will be full on the following dates, according to the Farmer's Almanac:

• Blue Moon: Peaks May 31, at 4:45 a.m. ET
• Strawberry Moon: Peaks June 29, at 7:57 p.m. ET
• Buck Moon: Peaks July 29, at 10:36 a.m. ET
• Sturgeon Moon (partial lunar eclipse): Peaks Aug. 28, at 12:18 a.m. ET
• Harvest Moon: Peaks Sept. 26, at 12:49 p.m. ET
• Hunter's Moon: Peaks Oct. 26, at 12:12 a.m. ET
• Beaver Moon (super moon): Peaks Nov. 24, at 9:53 a.m. ET
• Cold Moon (super moon): Peaks Dec. 23, at 8:28 p.m.

Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers space phenomena, scientific studies and natural disasters. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at [email protected].