March 23, 2026: Look west after sunset to see Venus and the crescent moon. Jupiter shines high in Gemini while Uranus sits near the Pleiades star cluster.
Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, and the crescent Moon are visible in the evening sky, while Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune are veiled by bright sunlight and are not visible.
Venus in West
Step outside about 45 minutes after sunset and look westward. Brilliant Venus shines low in the western sky. It continues to emerge from bright sunlight, appearing higher and farther northward along the horizon, mirroring the sun’s northern movement.
Crescent Moon with Taurus
Look higher for the crescent moon, 30% illuminated. It is bright enough to illuminate the landscape and cast shadows.
The lunar orb is in front of Taurus the Bull, over 10° to the upper right of topaz-colored Aldebaran, the constellation’s brightest star. Do not confuse the star with Betelgeuse in Orion to the Bull’s left.
Riding on the Bull’s back in celestial artwork, the Pleiades star cluster guides us to Uranus, but wait until the sky is darker.
Jupiter with Gemini
At this hour Jupiter is high in the southern sky near the Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollux. It slowly moves eastward in front of the starry background as it appears to approach Wasat. Use a binocular to watch the Jovian Giant close the gap with Wasat until their April 30 conjunction.
Jupiter is only dimmer than Venus and the crescent moon tonight. It is noticeably brighter than Sirius, the night’s brightest star, about 30° above the southern horizon.
During the night, Jupiter appears lower in the western sky, setting nearly four hours before sunrise.
Binocular View: Uranus
The window to see Uranus is closing as the moon brightens and the planet’s nightly altitude — height above the horizon — makes the planet more difficult to see. Closer to the horizon, the thicker air dims and blurs celestial bodies.
About 90 minutes after sunset, use a binocular to inspect the Pleiades. Place the star cluster toward the two-o’clock position in the field of view. Uranus appears as an aquamarine star near the stars 13 and 14 Tauri (Tau), off-center toward the eight-o’clock position.
With the visible planets and the moon in the evening sky, look for them after sunset and use a binocular to see Uranus near the Pleiades.
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