Derekscope

• The Moon reaches apogee ~ the farthest point in its orbit from Earth.
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• The Moon appears slightly smaller and dimmer in the sky compared to perigee.
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• When Venus reaches perihelion, it means the planet has arrived at the point in its elliptical orbit where it is closest to the Sun.
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• Visible in the UK before sunrise.
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• Best viewing time:
  – Around 4am – 5am BST.
  – Direction: low in the eastern sky.
  – The Moon will be a very thin waning crescent.
  – Mars will appear as a small reddish-orange point nearby.
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• This month, look out for two bright planets ~ Jupiter and Venus in the western sky.
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• Keep watching the sky, as both will appear close together on Saturday 6th June, aligning in the same region of the sky.
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• BSL Explanation

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• The Last Quarter Moon occurs on Saturday 9th May 2026 at 22:10 / 10.10pm BST.
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• The Moon rises around midnight and is best seen in the early morning hours of Sunday 10th May.
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• At the exact Last Quarter phase (around 22:10pm on 9th May), the Moon may still be below the horizon in some parts of the UK, but you’ll easily see the half-moon shape later overnight and toward dawn.
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• The Moon reaches apogee ~ the farthest point in its orbit from Earth.
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• The Moon appears slightly smaller and dimmer in the sky compared to perigee.
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Blue Moon

• Blue Moon – not quite, there isn’t a Blue Moon in May 2026.
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• A “Blue Moon” doesn’t actually mean the Moon turns blue, it’s a term about timing, not colour.
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• This meaning a Blue Moon is most commonly as the second full moon in a single calendar month.
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• Because full moons happen about every 29.5 days, sometimes the calendar “fits in” an extra one (Twice Full Moon in the same month) that’s what gets called a Blue Moon.
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• The next monthly Blue Moon will be in December 2028.
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• The Moon appears close to the star Regulus in the sky, and both appear “tilted” at around 22:00 / 10pm BST.
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• This conjunction happens when two celestial objects appear close together from Earth’s perspective.
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• Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo (The Lion), also called Alpha Leonis ~ it’s a blue-white main-sequence star located about 79 light-years away.
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• Moonrise / Moonset
  – Moonrise: 11:35am BST on Friday 24 April 2026.
  – Moonset: 03:20am BST next morning on Saturday 25 April 2026.
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• This means the Moon will be above the horizon late morning through the afternoon and into the evening, making it visible in the afternoon and early evening sky ~ the Moon will be high in the southern sky for observers in the United kingdom.
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• Lunar X and Lunar V
  Sunlight catches rims at lunar first quarter to create the bright V and X shapes.

• Best viewing time in the UK
  The phenomenon begins later in the morning after 11:30am for British Summer Time (BST) – this transient effect typically lasts for approximately four hours. 
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  –…Today: Friday 24th April 2026
  –…Start formation: 11:50 / 11:50am (become visible)
  –…Peak visibility: 13:50 / 1.50pm (fully formed as best contrast)
  –…Fade disappearing: 15:50 / 3.50pm
  –…Visible: difficult (daytime requires a telescope.)
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• The Moon repeats its cycle every 29½ days, so these effects happen every month, just on slightly different dates – see the complete full timetable for 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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• Equipment
  While sometimes visible with high-power binoculars, a telescope is recommended to see the fine detail of the crater rims forming the Lunar X and V.
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