May 6, 2026: At spring’s midpoint, find the gibbous moon with Sagittarius before sunrise and track Venus overtaking Jupiter in the western evening sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:41 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:55 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
Spring’s Midpoint
Spring’s midpoint occurs today at 6:35 p.m. Central Time, although May Day is the traditional center of the season. The season’s length is 92 days, 17 hours, 38 minutes.
Morning Moon
Before sunrise, the gibbous moon, 81% illuminated, is 20° above the southern horizon. It is in front of Sagittarius where the brightest stars resemble a teapot. In this moonlight, a binocular is needed to see them.
Look for the tip of the Scorpion’s tail, Shaula, and the stinger, Lesath, over 15° to the moon’s lower right.
Venus after Sunset
After sunset, brilliant Venus is in the west-northwest. It is bright enough to be seen during bright twilight, as early as 30 minutes after nightfall. As the sky darkens, it is easier to see, and by an hour after sunset, it is about 15° above the west-northwest horizon.
The Evening Star steps eastward, 8.6° to Aldebaran’s upper right, Taurus’ brightest star, and 8.4° below Elnath, one of the horns. From night to night, the planet’s eastward movement is easy to follow. Use a binocular to see its changing place in front of Taurus’ rich starfield.
Venus Overtaking Jupiter
Venus is overtaking bright Jupiter, 34° to the upper left. With their conjunction occurring on June 9, their separation closes about 1° each night.
Bright Jupiter, about 45° above the western horizon, slowly rambles eastward in front of Gemini, 7.3° to Pollux’s lower left and 9.7° to Castor’s lower left, the Gemini Twins.
Tonight, Venus sets over two hours after sunset, while Jupiter sets nearly 3 hours later.
At this midpoint of the season, look for the gibbous moon during morning twilight and two bright planets after sunset.
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