April 8-11, 2026: The waning gibbous moon appears before sunrise, stepping eastward in front of Sagittarius. Watch it pass the constellation’s stars.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Morning Moon, Sagittarius
The moon is in the morning sky before sunrise, stepping eastward in front of Sagittarius. The brightest stars resemble a teapot and they are sometimes referred to by that name.
With the bright moonlight, use a binocular to spot the moon with the constellation’s stars.
Highlights
Step outside about an hour before daybreak and look toward the southern sky.
- April 8: The waning gibbous moon, 67% illuminated, is nearly 20° above the southern horizon. It is 2.7° to the lower left of Kaus Borealis, the top of the teapot’s lid, and 8.2° to the lower right of Alnasl, the arrowhead. The lunar orb is in front of Sagittarius.
- April 9: The moon, 57% illuminated, is 18.2° high in the south-southeast. It is 2.3° to the lower right of Nunki and 3.4° to the upper right of Tau Sagittarii (τ Sgr). Later that day, the moon reaches the Last Quarter phase at 11:52 p.m. CDT, before it rises in the western hemisphere. The lunar orb continues in front of Sagittarius.
- April 10: The moon, 48% illuminated, is over 15° above the south-southeast horizon, 8.2° to the lower left of Tau Sagittarii. The lunar orb continues eastward in front of Sagittarius.
- April 11: The moon, 38% illuminated, is 14° up in the southeast. The lunar orb is in front Capricornus.
Each morning, the moon is lower in the sky and nearer to sunrise as its phase wanes. Look about an hour before daybreak to follow the moon’s eastward motion.
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