April 15, 2026: Venus and Jupiter shine after sunset while a thin crescent moon sits low before sunrise. Track Venus moving toward the Pleiades and Aldebaran.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:10 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:32 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
Venus, Jupiter, Crescent Moon
Brilliant Venus and Jupiter are visible after sunset. The crescent moon is a challenging view during morning twilight.
Twilight Crescent Moon
The moon is finishing this lunation. The New Moon phase occurs in two mornings at 6:52 a.m. Central Time. At 30 minutes before sunrise, the 6% illuminated crescent is only 6° above the east-southeast horizon, a challenging sight. For moon aficionados, use a binocular and find a clear view toward the eastern horizon.
Almanacs may show lunar conjunctions with Mercury this morning, although the Elusive Planet is too faint for easy visibility, more difficult than spotting the moon. Tomorrow, the almanacs may show conjunctions with Mars and Saturn, but all three are in bright twilight, making them nearly impossible to easily observe.
Evening Star
After sunset, brilliant Venus shines in the west-northwest. It can be seen through the colorful hues of evening twilight. Setting two hours after nightfall, the planet is 10° above the west-northwest horizon an hour earlier. It easily outshines all the stars in the sky tonight, nearly 10 times brighter than Sirius, the night’s brightest star.
Venus steps eastward in front of Aries, nearly 11° below the Pleiades star cluster, a stellar bundle in Taurus. Venus crosses the Aries–Taurus border in four nights. The Evening Star passes the Pleiades on April 23 and Aldebaran, the Bull’s brightest star, on May 1. Tonight, the Venus–Aldebaran gap is over 20°.
Jupiter, Gemini
A bright Venus–Jupiter conjunction occurs on June 9. Tonight, the Jovian Giant is in the west-southwest, nearly 60° to Venus’ upper left.
Jupiter, the second brightest starlike body, slowly rambles eastward in front of Gemini, near the Twins, Castor and Pollux. Use a binocular to watch it approach and pass the star Wasat, 1.9° to the upper left, on April 30.
Tonight, Jupiter sets in the west-northwest after midnight and over four hours before sunrise.
This morning’s view of the crescent moon is challenging, but Venus and Jupiter are easy to see after sunset. Watch Venus’ rapid eastward movement compared to Jupiter’s slower speed.
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