New moon May 2026 in Taurus

What time is it where you are?

The same instant falls on different dates around the world, so check the date as well as the time.

When to look for the first crescent

A new moon itself cannot be seen, because it sits in the Sun's glare. The thin crescent usually shows up low in the west after sunset once the Moon sets about 60 minutes after the Sun. This is the first evening that happens in each city.

Clear skies and a low western horizon help a lot, so treat these as the first good chance, not a promise.

The stars behind this new moon

Signs follow the seasons and constellations are patterns of stars, and the two have drifted apart over the centuries. At 25°58′ Taurus, the Moon actually stands in front of Aries, the ram, not the constellation Taurus is named after. The Sun, right beside the Moon at 25°57′ Taurus, is in front of Taurus.

More about AriesWhy signs and constellations differSee the real sky at your own birth

How close is the Moon?

At 358,580 km from Earth, this is the 2nd closest of the 12 new moons of 2026.

Perigee, the closest point of this orbit, comes on 17 May 2026 at 13:44 UTC, 18 hours after the exact new moon, at 358,064 km. Apogee, the farthest point, comes on 4 May 2026 at 405,828 km. When a full or new moon falls this close to perigee, tides tend to run a little higher than usual for a day or two.

The planets at this new moon

Where everything else stands at the exact moment, and any major aspect each planet makes to the Moon, using the same orbs Hali uses in every chart.

The tightest contact is a conjunction with Mercury, 2.7° from exact. With Mercury right beside the Moon, its themes tend to blend into the feel of these days. A sextile from Jupiter offers an opening that is easy to miss if you are not looking. Pluto is retrograde at this moment.

Planets to look for

With no Moon in the evening sky, the nights around a new moon are the darkest of the month, good for planets and faint stars.

• Mercury is too close to the Sun to see.
• Venus is in the evening sky after sunset, in front of Taurus.
• Mars is in the morning sky before dawn, in front of Pisces.
• Jupiter is in the evening sky after sunset, in front of Gemini.
• Saturn is in the morning sky before dawn, in front of Cetus.

Eclipse season

The Moon is 80.6° from the North Node, one of the two points where its path crosses the Sun's. Eclipses only happen when a new or full moon falls near a node, so this one falls outside eclipse season. The next eclipse is the total solar eclipse at the new moon of August 2026.

What the lunar nodes are

This lunar cycle

This new moon starts a cycle that peaks with the full moon in Sagittarius on 31 May 2026. It ends with the next new moon on 15 June 2026.

A new moon in Taurus

The Sun and Moon meet in Taurus, so this new moon favours slow, steady beginnings. Consider what you want to build that will still be standing in a year.

Astrology reads full and new moons as moments for reflection, not predictions. Take what helps and leave the rest.

When the Moon is in Taurus

Taurus Moon days slow everything down. They favour comfort, nature, a proper meal and finishing what you started over anything new.

More about the Moon in Taurus

The same moon in other years

• Last yearNew moon May 2025, Gemini
• Next yearNew moon May 2027, Taurus