05/16/2026
🌑 Super New Moon Tonight!
Tonight, May 16, the Moon reaches its new phase near perigee at ~358,593 km from Earth. A Super New Moon occurs when the New Moon coincides with the Moon's closest orbital approach.
So why does it matter? Two reasons.
🌊 First, tides. The gravitational pull of both the Sun and the Moon are aligned during every New Moon, producing spring tides. When the Moon is also near perigee, those tides are amplified further. Coastal communities, marine scientists, and anyone who watches the ocean will notice the difference, even if the sky shows nothing.
🌌 Second, darkness. A Super New Moon means no moonlight at all. This is the darkest possible night of the month, and that's a gift for anyone who wants to see faint objects in the sky. The Milky Way stretches overhead without competition. Faint galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters that are normally washed out by moonlight become visible through binoculars and telescopes. And right now, Venus (mag -3.9) and Jupiter (mag -1.9) are blazing in the western sky after sunset.
The biggest supermoon of May is the one that gives you the sky, not itself. Happy skygazing!
