May 2026: Venus Tracks Through Taurus Toward Jupiter Conjunction.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Venus, May 2026
Venus is the brilliant starlike body in the west-northwest after sunset. For most of the month, it steps eastward in front of Taurus. It crosses the boundary with Gemini on May 19.
Early May
On May 1, at one hour after sunset, the Evening Star is nearly 15° above the west-northwest horizon. It is visible as early as 30 minutes after sunset. Tonight, the planet passes 6.4° to the upper right of Aldebaran, the Bull’s brightest star.
It steps eastward about 1° from night to night as it closes in on Jupiter, nearly 40° to the upper left on May 1. By month’s end, their gap is less than 10°, with a Venus–Jupiter conjunction occurring on June 9.
As Venus moves eastward, it passes Taurus’ dimmer stars. On May 8, Venus passes between Aldebaran and Elnath, one of the bovine’s horns. On May 12, it passes Elnath. The next evening, it passes between Elnath and Zeta Tauri, the second horn. On May 14, it passes 3.7° to Zeta Tauri’s upper right.
Venus, Moon, May 18
An hour after sunset on the evening of May 18, the crescent moon, 7% illuminated, is 2.4° to Venus’ upper right. With Jupiter nearly 22° to the upper left and the Gemini Twins nearby, this is a picturesque evening.
Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Gemini
On May 19, Venus crosses Gemini’s border, 20.7° to the lower right of Jupiter. On the subsequent evenings, it passes the stars in Castor’s foot. Afterward, it continues to advance toward its Jupiter conjunction.
Later in the month, Mercury enters the western sky. At month’s end, Jupiter–Venus–Mercury span over 26°.
Through a telescope, Venus’ phase shrinks from 88% illuminated to 80%. Its distance from Earth decreases nearly 12% while its brightness increases slightly. At month’s end, Venus reaches its maximum interval between sunrise and Venus set — 162 minutes.
During May, watch Venus step eastward in front of Taurus, passing between the horns, followed by moving in front of Gemini as it approaches Jupiter. Mercury enters the scene during late May to add to the view in the evening western sky.
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