You won’t want to miss a chance to look up into the sky tonight, during the early morning hours of Thursday, May 14. Before dawn, stargazers are in for a treat with a rare sighting of the moon, Saturn, and Mars as they form a gorgeous, cosmic triangle in May’s dark sky.
Here’s everything to know about this unique celestial event.
What’s happening?
The moon, Saturn, and Mars will form a cosmic triangle as the sun rises before dawn in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The razor-thin moon will be in its waning crescent phase (day 27 of its 29.5 day cycle) and appear as a mere sliver in the sky, as only 8% will be lit up by the sun, according to Space.com.
At the same time, two other planets, Saturn and Mars, will be visible to the right and left of the moon, respectively—with Saturn appearing like a bright star, and Mars deep red. (Neptune will also be present, but not visible to the naked eye.)
Sky-gazers will want to look east on the horizon, as all three will be less than 20 degrees above the horizon before they disappear amid the glare of the sunrise.
What’s the best time to catch this cosmic lineup?
The best time to catch this waning crescent moon is about 45 minutes before sunrise on Thursday, May 14. (That will be approximately 4:55 a.m. ET in New York, 4:36 a.m. ET in Boston, and 5:01 a.m. ET in Philadelphia.)
What else is happening in the sky in May?
The cosmic triangle isn’t the only treat in store for sky-watchers this month. Another bonus: May 2026 has a second full moon, or “blue moon” (although it doesn’t appear that color), at the end of the month. It will appear fullest on the night of Saturday, May 30, here in North America, before it enters into the morning hours of Sunday, May 31. (The last blue moon appeared on August 19, 2024.)