May 17-20, 2026: Watch the waxing crescent moon pass brilliant Venus and Jupiter after sunset. The May 18 Venus–Moon pairing is one of the prettiest sights of the planet’s 2026 evening apparition.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Moon Passes Evening Planets
Brilliant Venus and Jupiter shine from the western sky after sunset. Brilliant Venus is easily visible in the west-northwest 30 minutes after sunset. Thirty minutes later, it is over 15° above the west-northwest horizon. It is overtaking bright Jupiter, over 30° up in the west and about 20° to the upper left. Venus slowly overtakes Jupiter before their conjunction on June 9.
Venus steps eastward in front of Taurus, crossing the Gemini border on the 19th. Jupiter slowly rambles eastward in front of the Twins to Pollux’s lower left.
The waxing moon at the beginning of its lunation appears higher and brighter in the west, passing Venus and Jupiter. The evening of May 18 is perhaps the best Venus–Moon pairing of the planet’s apparition.
Earthshine
As the moon waxes, sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land gently lights the lunar night. Capture earthshine with a tripod-mounted camera or a steady camera phone using exposures up to a few seconds. Use the same setup to record the Venus–Moon pairing.
Highlights
Step outside an hour after sunset to see this magnificent display of the brightest planets and the moon. Here’s what to see:
• May 17: The crescent moon, 2% illuminated, is 6° above the west-northwest horizon and nearly 15° to Venus’ lower left. Find a clear horizon and initially use a binocular to see the lunar crescent. The Venus–Jupiter gap is 22.7°.
• May 18: The moon, 7% illuminated, is over 15° above the west-northwest horizon and 2.4° to Venus’ upper right. This is a pretty sight. The Venus–Jupiter separation is 21.7°.
• May 19: The crescent moon, 15% illuminated, is over 25° up in the west, over 13° to Venus’ upper left and 7.9° to Jupiter’s lower right. The planets’ separation is 20.7°.
• May 20: The moon, 24% illuminated, is nearly 40° above the western horizon, 7.2° to Jupiter’s upper left and 7.0° to Pollux’s upper left. The Venus–Jupiter gap is under 20° tonight.
Watch the moon wax each night and pass the night’s brightest planets.
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