January 30-February 1, 2025: The waxing crescent moon joins the evening planet parade near Saturn and Venus. A super crescent moon appears with Venus.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Times for the appearances of the evening planets and the moon are relative to sunset. Find sunset times in local sources.
After sundown, four bright planets are along an arc of the solar system’s plane. From the southwest to east, the planets are Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars.
Venus-Super Crescent Moon
After the New moon and the Lunar New Year, the crescent moon enters the southwestern sky. With brilliant Venus and Saturn near the moon’s orbital path, during two evenings, the scenes are striking.
Additionally, the crescent moon is at its closest point to Earth, known as perigee. For this reason, we call this Venus-Moon conjunction a “super crescent,” defined here as a Venus-Moon conjunction occurring within 24 hours of the moon’s perigee. If the moon were in its full phase, it would be called a supermoon.
Here’s What to See
Here is what to look for at 45 minutes after nightfall.
- January 30: Brilliant Venus is over 30° above the west-southwest horizon and 10.0° below Saturn. The crescent moon, 3% illuminated, is over 5° above the horizon and over 25° to Venus’ lower right. To find the lunar crescent, find an observing spot with a clear view toward the west-southwest.
- January 31: Brilliant Venus is again in the west-southwest, 10.7° above Saturn. Tonight, the lunar crescent, 8% illuminated, is 3.4° to Saturn’s lower right. Look for earthshine – sunlight reflected by Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land – that softly lights the lunar night. Photograph it with camera exposures up to a few seconds.
- February 1: This evening the lunar crescent and Venus appear together. Venus is near its brightest point and the moon, 15% illuminated, is only 2.4° to the planet’s lower left. This is a stunning sight—a super crescent moon paired with Venus near its brightest! Saturn is 11.4° below Venus. All of them are easily captured in a single photographic image along with the moon’s earthshine. Wait until at least 90 minutes after sundown, to see Venus, Neptune, and the crescent moon through a binocular.
Look for the moon during these three evenings, highlighted by the Venus-super crescent Moon.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, July 4: Mars–Uranus Conjunction, Moon and Saturn, Venus Near Regulus
July 4, 2026: Mars passes Uranus in a close conjunction before sunrise while Saturn shines in Pisces. After sunset, Venus approaches Regulus in Leo as their conjunction nears. - 2026, July 3: Mars Nears Uranus While Venus Closes on Regulus
July 3, 2026: Mars approaches Uranus before sunrise while Venus closes on Regulus after sunset. Find Saturn, the Pleiades star cluster, Aldebaran, Jupiter, and the bright gibbous moon. - 2026, July 2: Four Bright Planets and the Waning Gibbous Moon
July 2, 2026: See four bright planets and a waning gibbous moon during the nighttime hours. Find Saturn, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, the Pleiades star cluster, and Aldebaran. - 2026, July 1: July’s Outlook for the Sun, Moon, and Planets
July 1, 2026: This is the outlook for the visibility of the moon and planets for July 2026. The moon passes bright stars while the summer noon sun is lower in the sky. - 2026, June 30: Full Strawberry Moon Lights the Sky While Venus Approaches Regulus
June 30, 2026: The Full Strawberry Moon remains a bright nighttime sight while Mars moves away from the Pleiades, Saturn climbs higher in the eastern morning sky, and Venus approaches Regulus before their upcoming conjunction.