A rare blue moon and meteors left by Halley’s Comet will shine in SC skies soon. Here’s when

For anyone enamored with what’s happening in the sky, May will be especially rewarding.

It began Friday with a full moon and will end with a second full moon on May 30.

Friday’s was the Flower moon, so named by the indigenous Algonquin peoples to symbolize abundance, growth, and the peak of spring.

It is said to represent the time of year when the most sunlight shines and flowers bloom.

The end of May full moon is known as a blue moon, called that because of its rarity and not the color, as in the saying once in the blue moon. This extra moon happens every 2.5 to 3 years.

But two moons are not the only highlights in May.

There will also be a meteor shower May 5 and 6. It’s expected to show off 20 meteors an hour. Known as the Eta Aquariid meteor show, it derives from debris left by Halley’s Comet, the only short period comet visible to the naked eye from Earth.

It last appeared in 1986 and occurs every 75-77 years.

The last evenings of truly dark skies before the longer days of summer will occur from May 9 to 20.

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 3:21 PM with the headline "A rare blue moon and meteors left by Halley’s Comet will shine in SC skies soon. Here’s when."