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 May 17 Waxing Crescent 1% |
 May 18 Waxing Crescent 6% |
 Waxing Crescent Illumination: 13% |
 May 20 Waxing Crescent 22% |
 May 21 Waxing Crescent 32% |
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Moon Phase for today: May 192026
The Moon's current phase for today and tonight is a Waxing Crescent Phase. Best seen in the west after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. This is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon's surface. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.
Visit the May 2026 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.
Today's Waxing Crescent Phase
The Waxing Crescent on May 19 has an illumination of 13%. This is the percentage of the Moon illuminated by the Sun. The illumination is constantly changing and can vary up to 10% a day. On May 19 the Moon is 3.43 days old. This refers to how many days it has been since the last New Moon. It takes 29.53 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth and go through the lunar cycle of all 8 Moon phases.
Today's Moon Sign: ♋ Cancer
The current zodiac moon sign is Cancerpositioned at 6.18° within the sign. The Moon entered Cancer on and will shift into Leo on . The zodiac moon sign represents the position of the Moon as it moves through the twelve signs of the zodiac. Each zodiac moon sign lasts about 2 to 2.5 days as the Moon travels through that part of the sky.
The 8 Lunar Phases
There are 8 lunar phases the Moon goes through in its 29.53 days lunar cycle. The 4 major Moon phases are Full MoonNew MoonFirst Quarter and Last Quarter. Between these major phasesthere are 4 minor ones: the Waxing CrescentWaxing GibbousWaning Gibbous and Waning Crescent. For more info on the Moon Cycle and on each phase check out Wikipedia Lunar Phase page.
Phase Details for - May 19
Illumination: 13%
Moon Age: 3.43 days
Moon Angle: 0.55
Moon Distance: 364,787.28 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 151,383,547.87 km
Useful Moon Resources
Check the weather before a night of Moon gazing at weather.com
For a list of all the current meteor showers visit American Meteor Society
Waxing Crescent Moonrise and Moonset
average moon rise Average Mid-phase Average Moon Set 