What is today’s moon phase?
As of Thursday, May 21, the moon phase is waxing crescent. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 27% of the Moon will be illuminated tonight.
Tonight, without any visual aid, you will be able to see Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. Binoculars or a telescope will also bring Endymion Crater into view.
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 about 29.5 days to completely revolve around the Earth, during which it goes through eight phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the way sunlight hits its surface changes throughout its orbit, creating the familiar full, half and crescent shapes we see in the night sky. In total, the lunar cycle consists of eight main 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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