Waning Crescent Moon visible on May 14

On Thursday, May 14, the Moon is in the waning crescent phase, with about 9 % of its disc illuminated, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide. The thin sliver of light is best seen with binoculars or a telescope, which can also reveal the Grimaldi Basin on the lunar surface.

The next full Moon occurs on May 31, making May a month with two full moons. The lunar cycle lasts roughly 29.5 days and proceeds through eight distinct phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent.