Blue moon can be seen this morning in Brazil; know how to observe
The month of May 2026 comes to an end with the so-called Blue Moon, the name given to the second Full Moon recorded in the same month. The phenomenon can be observed in the early hours of this Sunday (31) throughout Brazil. The best window for observation begins at dusk on Saturday (30), when the Moon appears on the horizon at the same time the Sun sets.
The second phase of the full moon will occur at 5:45 am on Sunday (31). The closest apparent approach between the Moon and the star Antares will occur close to the Moon's sunset, at the end of the morning.
On the same date, the natural satellite will be at the furthest point in its orbit in relation to Earth. Therefore, the Moon will appear smaller and less bright than a normal Full Moon.
The lunar orbit has two main points: the perigee, when the Moon is closest to the Earth, and the apogee, when it is furthest away. When the full phase coincides with the apogee, the phenomenon known as micro full moon occurs. When the Full Moon occurs during perigee, the event is called a supermoon.
In addition to the Blue Moon and the micromoon, observers will be able to follow the Moon close to Antares, a reddish star known as the "Heart of the Scorpion" due to its prominence in the constellation of Scorpio. The region is also home to an extensive band of the Milky Way, visible to the naked eye in places away from urban lighting and with clear skies.
How and when to observe the phenomena
Antares can be observed on Saturday night (30), starting one hour after sunset.
The Blue Moon will actually be seen on the 31st, but its ideal preparation window is at Moonrise on May 30th. Every Full Moon rises when the Sun sets and stays in the sky throughout the night, setting the next day at the time the Sun rises. The peak of the approach between the Moon and Antares will occur at the moon's sunset, late in the morning.
Hickel comments on the perfect moment for observations that "At the rising and setting of the Moon, the effect of the "lunar illusion" occurs, which makes the human brain interpret that our satellite appears larger than it is. However, these are also the moments for better photos, in composition with the landscape."
If the Moon doesn't turn blue, why does it have that name?
The term that refers to the second Full Moon of the month is imported from the USA (United States of America), in British literary works from the 19th century, to describe the observation of the Moon in a poetic way.
They believed that there was a bluish color due to the presence of particles from volcanic eruptions in the upper atmosphere.
Subsequently, the magazine Astronomia Sky and Telescope associated, in 1946, the term Blue Moon with the 2nd Full Moon of a month in the Western (Gregorian) calendar due to a typographical error.
From the 1980s onwards, the term became popular in the USA and, through cultural influence, in the rest of the world.
The Moon only really turns blue in extreme atmospheric situations, such as after large volcanic eruptions or large-scale forest fires that release particles into the atmosphere capable of filtering red light more than other colors.
*Under supervision
Source: CNN