There's a small sliver of the Moon in the sky tonight, but is it enough to spot any surface features?
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Monday, May 18, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 3% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.
Unfortunately, there is still too little of the Moon's surface lit up to be able to see anything on its surface.
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When is the next Full Moon?
There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full orbit around Earth, moving through eight distinct phases along the way. Although we always see the same side of the Moon, the changing angle of sunlight as it orbits creates the familiar full, half, and crescent shapes. In total, the lunar cycle is made up of eight main phases:
New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.