What is today’s moon phase?
As of Saturday, May 2, the Moon’s phase is waning gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 100% of the Moon will be illuminated tonight as well.
Without any visual aid, tonight you should be able to see Mare Criseum and Vaporum and the crater Tycho. With binoculars, you’ll see Poseidonus Crater, Archimedes Crater, and Alphonsus Crater. And, finally, with a telescope you’ll see all this and the landing sites of Apollo 14 and 17, as well as the Descartes Highlands.
When is the next full moon?
There are two full moons in May, the next one will be on May 31st.
What are the moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes approximately 29.5 days to revolve around the Earth, a process that takes eight distinct phases. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the amount of sunlight falling on it changes as it rotates in its orbit. The changing light creates the changing shapes we know as the full, half and crescent moon. In total, there are eight main lunar phases.
New Moon – The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it is invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small patch of light visible to the right (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – The right half of the Moon is illuminated. It looks like a half moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half burnt, but not full yet.
Full Moon – The entire face of the Moon is illuminated and completely visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon begins to lose light from the right. (Northern hemisphere)
Third quarter (or last quarter) – Another half moon, but now the left side is illuminated.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left before it gets dark again.
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