March 23, 2026: The steep angle of the ecliptic during spring evenings lifts the crescent moon higher each night and raises Venus in the western sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:49 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:06 p.m. CDT. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Venus as an Evening Star
Varying Views of Solar System
During spring evenings, the ecliptic — the plane of the solar system — makes a high angle with the western horizon, over 80° at Chicago’s latitude. This steep angle lifts the waxing crescent Moon quickly away from the horizon. From night to night, the crescent appears noticeably higher above the previous evening’s position.
In comparison, after the September equinox on September 22, the ecliptic makes a very shallow angle with the western horizon. Venus is far from the sunset point but appears low in the sky, and the evening crescent moon behaves the same way. From night to night, the moon’s eastward motion appears nearly parallel to the western horizon.
During spring evenings, notice how the moon appears higher each night and how Venus climbs higher in the western sky from week to week.
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