April 28-20, 2026: A waxing crescent moon joins Venus and the Pleiades after sunset. Look west-northwest to follow their changing positions and catch earthshine.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus, Moon, Taurus
After sunset, the waxing crescent moon appears in the west-northwest with Venus and Taurus. Step outside about an hour after sunset. Brilliant Venus shines from about 10° above the west-northwest horizon. As the brightest starlike body in the sky, the Evening Star can be seen as early as 30 minutes after sunset, shining through bright twilight.
As the sky darkens further, the stars appear. Taurus is a constellation that resembles its namesake. Red-orange Aldebaran and the Hyades make the “V” of Taurus, outlining the Bull’s head. Aldebaran is over 20° up in the west, marking the Bull’s eye. Two long horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri, are higher in the sky, less than halfway from the horizon to overhead.
Pleiades
Resembling a miniature dipper, the Pleiades star cluster rides on the Bull’s back. It is a pretty sight through a binocular, especially when the moon is nearby on April 19.
Earthshine
Look for earthshine on the moon as it waxes. The effect is sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land that softly lights the lunar night. Photograph it with a tripod-mounted camera or a steady camera phone. Use exposures up to five seconds.
Highlights
Here’s what to see an hour after sunset:
• April 18: The moon, 4% illuminated, is nearly 10° above the west-northwest horizon, 5.6° to Venus’ lower right and over 10° below the Pleiades star cluster. Venus is 7.5° to the star cluster’s lower left.
• April 19: Venus steps in front of Taurus tonight, 6.5° to the Pleiades’ lower left. The lunar orb, 9% illuminated, is over 20° up in the west-northwest, nearly 11° to Venus’ upper right. The lunar orb is 11° to Aldebaran’s right. Tonight’s highlight is the lunar crescent 4.6° above the star cluster. They easily fit into the same binocular field of view. Photograph the scene that includes Venus, Moon, and the V. This is a view not to be missed with favorable weather.
• April 20: The moon, 17% illuminated, is 35° above the western horizon and 3.1° to Elnath’s lower left. The Venus–Moon distance is 24.0°.
Tonight, Venus appears in the same binocular field with the Pleiades star cluster. While these articles declared Uranus’ observing window closed a few weeks ago, attempt to see the Tilted Planet. Venus passes Uranus in three nights.
With brilliant Venus dominating the evening sky, the moon passes nearby each month, and the bright planets pass by regularly as well.
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