2025, May 27: Thin Lunar Crescent After Sunset

May 27, 2025:  Look for a thin lunar crescent in the western sky after nightfall near Jupiter.

Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon.
September 12, 2018: Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:21 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:16 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

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Jupiter, Crescent Moon after Sunset

Jupiter, Moon May 27, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, May 27: Bright Jupiter and the razor-thin moon are in the west-northwest after sundown.

A razor-thin waxing crescent moon appears in the west-northwest during evening twilight.  The moon is at the New phase at 4:02 a.m. Central Time.

Moon, Elnath, binocular view, May 27, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, May 27: The moon and Elnath, one of Taurus’ horns, appear in the same binocular field.

At 45 minutes after nightfall, find an unobstructed horizon looking toward the west-northwest. Bright Jupiter is about 7° up in the sky.  Use a binocular to see Elnath, 7.0° to Jupiter’s right.  They fit snugly into the same field of view.  The crescent moon, 1% illuminated and 5° above horizon, is 3.4° to the star’s lower right, a comfortable fit in the binocular’s field.

Mars Nears Regulus

Mars, May 27, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, May 27: An hour after sundown, Mars approaches the star Regulus in the west-southwest.

Fifteen minutes later, Mars is less than halfway up in the west-southwest. It is in front of western Leo, 11.2° to Regulus’ lower right, Leo’s brightest star.  Mars’ eastward march moves it closer to the bright star, with the conjunction occurring on June 17th.

Venus and Saturn before Sunrise

Venus, Saturn, May 27, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, May 27: Before sunrise, brilliant Venus is in the east with Saturn to its upper right.

Earlier this morning during twilight, brilliant Venus is over 10° above the east-horizon.  It continues to step eastward in front of Pisces as it approaches the Aries border.  Through a telescope, the planet displays a thick morning crescent, 47% illuminated.

The Venusian phase reaches 50% on June 1st when the planet is at its maximum separation from the sun, known as the greatest elongation. On that morning, it rises over two hours before sunrise, appearing over 10° above the horizon an hour later.

Saturn, over 20° to Venus’ upper right, is easier to see each morning.  It is dimmer than average because its rings are tilted so that its icy particles reflect light away from Earth.  Through a telescope, the rings are viewed from nearly edge-on, like viewing a dinner plate from the side.  It appears in the same binocular field, though the view is clearer later during the summer.

Tomorrow evening the crescent moon is higher in the sky, over 8° above Jupiter.

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