The Moon on this date
Moon on Saturday, May 16, 2026
New Moon
0.2% illuminated · waning
Shown at midday from Columbus, US.
Rise, set and path
Times for Columbus, US
- Moonrise
- NE
- Highest
- 73°
- Moonset
- NW
60°30°
Horizon
5:38 AM
9:06 PM
73°
Key figures
- Illuminated
- 0.2%
- Age
- 29.2 days
- Distance
- 358,800 km
- Apparent size
- 33.3′
- Constellation
- Aries
- Lunation number
- 1278
Events on this date
-
New Moon
The Moon passes between Earth and the Sun and cannot be seen. These are the darkest nights of the month.
-
Moon and Mercury close together
They pass 4.4° apart in the sky.
Exact values
For May 16, 12:00 PM, midday on this date.
| Elongation from the Sun | 357.61° |
|---|---|
| Phase angle | 174.54° |
| Illuminated fraction | 0.23% |
| Altitude / azimuth | 66.9° / 131.5° |
| Right ascension / declination | 3h 19m / 23.37° |
| Ecliptic longitude / latitude | 53.42° / 4.90° |
| Libration in longitude / latitude | -2.05° / -6.02° |
| Sub-solar longitude / latitude | -179.80° / 1.48° |
| Position angle of the axis | 345.4° |
| Position angle of the bright limb | 139.0° |
| Apparent magnitude | -4.6 |
Directions are good to about a hundredth of a degree and the distance to about 50 km; more digits would not mean anything.