The May lunar cycle begins on Wednesday (1st) with the end of April’s Full Moon and the arrival of the Waning Moon. The change takes place at 8:27 am (Brasília time).
How does the lunar cycle work?
The lunar cycle is the period during which the Moon passes to complete a series of phases, which range from New Moon to reaching it again.
This cycle is known as the lunar month or synodic month, and has an average duration of approximately 29.5 days.
What does each phase of the moon look like?
At this stage, the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, and the illuminated part of the Moon faces the Sun, making it practically invisible from the Earth. But it is possible to observe its presence in the sky during the day.
As the Moon moves away from the Sun, a thin illuminated slice begins to appear, forming a crescent. That’s why it’s called the Quarter of the Crescent Moon, as it is more visible than before.
At this stage, the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in relation to the Earth, and its illuminated face is fully visible.
The passage of the Full Moon is the brightest phase — and when it is possible to see this celestial body completely illuminated in the night sky.
As the Moon continues to “shrink in size,” only a thin illuminated slice remains visible before the Moon completely disappears from Earth’s view, restarting the cycle with a New Moon.
See the lunar cycle calendar for May 2024
- Waning Moon: May 1st, at 8:27 am
- New Moon: May 8th, at 0:21 am
- Crescent moon: May 15th, at 8:48 am
- Full moon: May 23, at 10:53 am
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