March 12-13, 2026: A waning crescent moon appears in front of Sagittarius before sunrise. Look for it near the Teapot, passing Kaus Media and occulting Tau Sagittarii from parts of the southeastern United States. A binocular helps reveal the Archer’s faint star pattern.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Sagittarius
The morning crescent moon appears in the southeastern sky before sunrise, in front of Sagittarius. In celestial artwork, the figure is a centaur — part human and part horse — facing westward with a drawn bow and arrow. Several star names reflect the Archer association.
The brightest stars form a pattern resembling a teapot, a nickname widely used in the skywatching community. The star at the top of the Teapot’s lid is Kaus Borealis — the northern part of the Bow.
The stars are not especially bright, and a binocular is helpful for tracing the pattern: a teapot with the spout to the right and the handle to the left. The center of the Milky Way lies to the upper right of the spout. The sun is positioned in front of these stars near the winter solstice, when it makes its lowest arc across the sky.
Moon, Sagittarius Highlights
The moon passes in front of Sagittarius on these two mornings. Here is what to see one hour before sunrise:
• March 12: The moon, 40% illuminated, is over 15° above the south-southeast horizon. It is 1.4° to the upper right of Kaus Media — the middle star of the bow.
• March 13: The 30% illuminated moon is over 12° above the southeast horizon, 0.9° to the lower left of Tau Sagittarii (τ Sgr), the lower-left star of the handle. The moon occults the star from the southeastern United States, beginning around 5:40 a.m. Eastern Time.
Look for the moon with Sagittarius before sunrise.
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