April 12-14, 2026: The waning crescent moon appears low in the southeast before sunrise. Watch it pass Deneb Algedi and photograph earthshine during the final mornings before new moon.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Morning Moon
The moon is completing the lunation as the crescent wanes in the southeastern predawn sky. The moon is new on April 17 at 6:52 a.m. Central Time.
During spring mornings for northern hemisphere observers, the ecliptic – the plane of the solar system – makes a low angle with the eastern horizon. From morning to morning, the moon’s altitude – height above the horizon – does not change much, unlike the spring evening ecliptic, which makes a high angle with the western horizon. When the moon is there, it is obviously higher from night to night.
Earthshine
As the phase thins, it is farther eastward, permitting excellent views of earthshine – sunlight reflected from Earth’s clouds, oceans, and land that softly illuminates the lunar night. This effect is easily captured with a tripod-mounted camera or steady camera phone that captures images up to several seconds. Long exposures reveal the soft light but can overexpose and wash out the crescent’s features.
The Highlights
Here is what to see at 45 minutes before sunrise.
• April 12: The crescent moon, 28% illuminated, is nearly 15° above the southeast horizon. The lunar orb is 5.6° to Deneb Algedi’s upper right, “the kid’s tail,” a star in Capricornus. Use a binocular to see the star at this level of morning twilight. The moon and star snugly fit into the same binocular field of view.
• April 13: The 20% lit moon is over 10° above the east-southeast horizon, 7.4° to Deneb Algedi’s lower left. The separation makes the binocular view more challenging this morning. Capture an earthshine photo this morning.
• April 14: The waning crescent moon, 12% illuminated, is less than 10° above the east-southeast horizon. Try to photograph earthshine again this morning, although the moon is low in the sky. Find a clear horizon to see the pretty moon.
Watch the moon wane as it appears farther eastward each morning.
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