April 19, 2026: Venus, Jupiter, and a crescent moon strike a pose after sunset with Taurus and Gemini. Look west-northwest for earthshine and the Pleiades.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:04 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:36 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
Celestial Sights on Spring Nights
On April evenings, with a bright planet or two, a crescent moon, and the celestial backdrop of Taurus and Gemini, striking views of the western sky unfold after sunset. Tonight is one of those evenings with Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon shining against the starry background.
Moon, Taurus
Step outside an hour after sunset and look toward the west-northwest. With a hint of evening twilight, the crescent moon, 9% illuminated, is over 20° above the west-northwest horizon. The lunar night shows earthshine—sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land.
A binocular enhances the view of earthshine, easily including the Pleiades star cluster, a stellar bundle that is part of Taurus, 4.6° below the lunar crescent. The constellation is outlined by Aldebaran and the Hyades, showing its head, and Elnath and Zeta Tauri, marking the tips its long horns.
Venus
At this hour, brilliant Venus is about 10° above the west-northwest horizon, nearly 11° below the moon and 6.5° to the Pleiades’ lower left. Tonight, the Evening Star moves in front of the Bull’s rich star fields. Follow its nightly movement with a binocular.
Venus passes the Pleiades in four nights, Aldebaran on May 1, and passes between the horns on May 13.
Jupiter, Gemini
Higher in the sky, bright Jupiter is 50° to Venus’ upper left, noticeably dimmer than Venus. It is over halfway from the west-southwest horizon to overhead.
The Jovian Giant slowly rambles eastward in front of Gemini, near the Twins—Castor and Pollux. Through a binocular, watch it overtake and pass the star Wasat, 1.5° to the upper left.
Venus moves eastward about 10 times faster than Jupiter, overtaking the more distant planet on June 9, resulting in a pretty conjunction near Pollux.
Photograph the Scene
Photograph the western sky to include both planets with Taurus and Gemini or a closeup of the moon with earthshine near the Pleiades. Use a tripod-mounted camera or a steady camera phone with exposures up to 10 seconds. Make multiple images with varying exposure times.
Tomorrow evening the moon continues to wax, appearing near Elnath.
Step outside this evening and look for this pretty celestial display including Venus, Jupiter, Moon, Taurus, and Gemini.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, April 19: Striking View of Venus, Jupiter, and Crescent Moon with Taurus and Gemini
April 19, 2026: Venus, Jupiter, and a crescent moon strike a pose after sunset with Taurus and Gemini. Look west-northwest for earthshine and the Pleiades. - 2026, April 18-20: Venus, Crescent Moon, and Pleiades in the Western Sky
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. - 2026, April 17: Arcturus and Spica Shine in the Eastern Sky After Sunset
April 17, 2026: Two bright stars, Arcturus and Spica, anchor the eastern sky after sunset while Venus and Jupiter shine in the west. Use this guide to locate them and understand their motion. - 2026, April 16: Venus and Jupiter After Sunset, Moon Near New Phase in Morning Twilight
April 16, 2026: Venus shines in the west-northwest after sunset while Jupiter stands high in the west-southwest. The moon nears New phase, hidden in bright morning twilight. - 2026, April 15: Venus and Jupiter After Sunset, Crescent Moon Low Before Sunrise
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.