September 24- 28, 2025: The waxing crescent moon returns to the evening sky. It appears low in the sky during the beginning of this lunation.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Evening Moon Returns
After the partial solar eclipse on the 21st, the moon makes a delayed appearance in the western evening sky. This is caused by the shallow angle the ecliptic and the moon’s orbit make with the western horizon. On the 24th, a thin crescent hangs very low in the west-southwest. Each evening thereafter, it climbs higher. Find a clear southwest horizon and take along a binocular.
Earthshine
Look for earthshine on the moon’s night portion—sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land that softly illuminates the lunar surface.
Lunar Highlights
Here’s what to watch for about 45 minutes after sunset:
- September 24: The crescent moon, 9% illuminated, is just 2° above the west-southwest horizon. With a binocular, find Zubenelgenubi (the Scorpion’s southern claw) 9.6° to the moon’s upper left.
- September 25: The 16% illuminated moon stands 6° above the southwest horizon and 6.9° to Zubenelgenubi’s lower left.
- September 26: The crescent, 23% lit, is 10° high in the southwest, 2.3° to the lower right of Pi Scorpii (π Sco). From Hawaii, the moon occults the star.
- September 27: Over 30% illuminated, the moon is 15° above the south-southwest horizon, 3.2° to the lower left of Antares, Scorpius’ brightest star.
- September 28: At 40% illumination, the moon is nearly 20° above the west-southwest horizon and over 8° to the upper right of Shaula and Lesath, the Scorpion’s stinger stars.
An open view toward the southwest is essential to follow the waxing crescent as it passes bright stars of Scorpius.
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