Waning Gibbous Moon Illuminates 74% of Disk on May 7

On Thursday, May 7, the Moon will be in a waning gibbous phase, with about 74 % of its surface illuminated, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide. The half‑moon will appear lit on the left side in the Northern Hemisphere (right side in the Southern Hemisphere). Visible features include the Mare Serenitatis, Oceanus Procellarum and, with binoculars, the Clavius crater and Mare Humorum; telescopes can reveal the Apollo 14 and 15 landing sites and Rima Hyginus.

May will have two full moons, the next occurring on May 31. The lunar cycle takes roughly 29.5 days and proceeds through eight phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third (last) quarter, and waning crescent.