November 26, 2025: After sunset, the thick waxing crescent moon glows high in the south, 36% illuminated and nearing the First Quarter phase. The lunar orb is in front of Capricornus near Deneb Algedi, with Fomalhaut shining low in the southern autumn sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:54 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:22 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
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Evening Moon
After sunset, the thick waxing crescent moon, 36% illuminated, is 30° up in the south, about one-third of the way from the horizon to overhead. The moon approaches the evening half-full phase (First Quarter), which occurs on the 28th at 12:59 a.m. Central Time.
At the First Quarter phase, the terminator (day–night line) appears straight. When the moon is a crescent, the terminator is concave (bowed inward), and during the gibbous phases, it is convex (bowed outward).
Stars Near Moon Tonight
This evening the lunar orb is in front of Capricornus, 5.0° to the lower right of Deneb Algedi, meaning “the kid’s tail.” Use a binocular to see the star and others in the constellation.
The star Fomalhaut, meaning “mouth of the Southern Fish,” is about 20° above the horizon. It shines from the southern skies during autumn. At a distance of 25 light years, it is the 13th brightest star visible to sky watchers at mid-northern latitudes.
At its southerly location, Fomalhaut sets before midnight, about 20 minutes after tonight’s moon.
Look for the moon and nearby stars after nightfall.
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