The Moon is in a Waxing Gibbous phase on Monday, May 25, and 69% of its face will be lit tonight. It is brighter again, but it is still not yet full.
That is the reason skywatchers are checking the moon phase tonight: the Moon is moving closer to fullness, and the view is changing enough to show more detail with each passing night. For readers planning an evening look upward, the timing matters because the next Full Moon is due on May 31.
Even without any visual aids, Mares Crisium, Fecunditatis, and the Tycho Crater will be visible tonight. Binoculars will bring out the Endymion Crater, the Apennine Mountains and the Clavius Crater. With a telescope, the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 landing spots and the Rima Ariadaeus will also come into view.
NASA says the Moon moves through eight main phases during a lunar cycle that takes about 29.5 days to complete, which is why the face we see tonight keeps changing from one evening to the next. There are two Full Moons in May, but this one is still a few days away, leaving tonight’s sky bright enough to reward a careful look without reaching the peak yet.
The practical takeaway for tonight is simple: the Moon is already giving observers a fuller, clearer view, but the best-known phase is still ahead. For those following the Moon Phase Today series, including a recent look at a waning Moon that marked a quiet close on May 12, 2026, this is the night when the sky is still building toward the month’s next full display.
