April 20, 2026: The moon appears between Venus and Jupiter after sunset. Look west-northwest for Taurus, Gemini, the Pleiades, and earthshine.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:03 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:37 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
Crescent Moon between Venus, Jupiter
Tonight, the moon is nearly midway from brilliant Venus to Jupiter in the western sky.
The Evening Star is visible in the west-northwest as early as 30 minutes after sunset. As the sky darkens, it is easier to see. By an hour after sunset, Venus is over 10° above the west-northwest horizon.
Even during late afternoon, the lunar crescent, 17% illuminated, is visible to the sun’s upper left. After sunset it is easier to see, 24° to Venus’ upper left. After mid-twilight, about an hour after sunset, it is less than halfway from the west horizon to overhead. It is 3.1° to the lower left of Elnath, Taurus’ northern horn.
Taurus’ head is outlined by a “V,” made by red-orange Aldebaran with the Hyades star cluster. Elnath and Zeta Tauri mark the horns. The Pleiades star cluster rides on the Bull’s back.
Binocular View
Outshining all the stars in the sky, Venus steps eastward near the Pleiades, 5.4° to the cluster’s lower left. Tonight, find the planet with the stellar bundle in the same binocular field of view.
Several weeks ago, these articles declared Uranus’ observing window closed. Venus passes the Tilted Planet in three nights. While the atmosphere near the horizon causes celestial bodies to fade and blur, look carefully for this planetary conjunction.
Jupiter, Gemini
Bright Jupiter is high in the west-southwest, near the Gemini Twins – Castor and Pollux – to the moon’s upper left. The Jovian Giant steps eastward as it approaches the star Wasat for a close conjunction at month’s end. Through a binocular, watch Jupiter overtake and pass the fainter star.
Venus steps eastward at about 10 times Jupiter’s nightly pace. It overtakes the more distant planet on June 9.
Photograph the Scene
Photograph earthshine – sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land softly lights the lunar night – and the overall scene in the western sky from Venus to the Gemini Twins. Use a tripod-mounted camera or a steady surface and take multiple exposures up to 10 seconds.
Watch the planets and moon move eastward against the starry background. The moon appears near Jupiter in two nights. The First Quarter phase occurs on April 23.
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