May 19, 2026: See the crescent moon between brilliant Venus and Jupiter after sunset while Saturn climbs higher in the eastern sky before sunrise. Learn where and when to look.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:27 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:08 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
Evening Planet, Moon Show
After sunset, the crescent moon is between brilliant Venus and Jupiter in the western sky. Before sunrise, Saturn is higher in the east.
Western Sky After Sunset
Step outside an hour after sunset, brilliant Venus is over 15° above the west-northwest horizon. As the brightest starlike body in the sky, it is visible as early as 30 minutes after sunset. This evening Venus moves in front of Gemini near Castor’s foot, one of the Twins.
The crescent moon, 15% illuminated, is 26° above the west horizon, over 13° to Venus’ upper left and 7.9° to Jupiter’s lower right. The three brightest nighttime bodies span nearly 21°. While the moon is not starlike, it is over 500 times brighter than Venus, which is about 6 times brighter than Jupiter.
Jupiter slowly rambles eastward, 6.5° to Pollux’s lower left, the other Twin. Venus overtakes the Jovian Giant on June 9, and the moon joins the planetary pair on the evenings of June 16 and 17 in closer groupings than tonight.
Earthshine
Tonight is ideal for seeing and photographing earthshine, a gentle illumination of the moon’s night portion from sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land. Use a tripod-mounted camera or a steady camera phone. Use several zoom settings and exposure times up to several seconds to capture the moon by itself and with the planets. Tomorrow evening might be the last night to see this effect during the waxing portion of the lunation. Earthshine returns during the waning crescent phase around June 11.
Saturn Before Sunrise
Before sunrise, Saturn is low in the eastern sky. One hour before sunrise, the Ringed Wonder is nearly 10° above the horizon. Not as bright as Jupiter or Venus, Saturn is brighter than the stars in the region. At its current altitude, Saturn’s telescopic image is blurred by Earth’s thicker atmosphere near the horizon. Better views occur when the planet is higher in the sky.
Saturn slowly plods eastward in front of Cetus, crossing the Pisces border on June 3.
Each morning Saturn is higher in the eastern sky. In a week, it is nearly 15° above the horizon.
Look for the moon between the planets after sunset and locate Saturn before sunrise.
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