July 10-13, 2026: Follow Venus after its July 9 conjunction with Regulus. Watch the Evening Star step eastward through Leo while tracing the Sickle of Leo and nearby stars after sunset.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Venus, Regulus
Venus opens a widening gap with Regulus, Leo’s brightest star, after their 1.0° conjunction on July 9.
An hour after sunset, the Evening Star is about 15° above the western horizon. It is to Regulus’ upper left.
With ease, Venus outshines all other bodies in the night sky except the Moon. It steps eastward along the ecliptic – the plane of the solar system.
Regulus is the brightest star near the ecliptic, so the Moon passes nearby each month and the planets appear near it regularly. It is the bottom star in a half-dozen stars that make a backward question mark, also known as the “Sickle of Leo,” from the shape of an agricultural cutting tool. This shape represents the silhouette of Leo’s head. The Lion’s haunches and tail are marked by a triangle with Denebola, the tail, at the eastern vertex. At this level of twilight, use a binocular to trace the Lion’s shape.
While Regulus is near the ecliptic, Denebola is over 12° above the plane. A dimmer star, Rho Leonis (ρ Leo), is closer to the ecliptic than Regulus. Like the brighter star, Rho is a celestial milestone for sky watchers. As Venus steps eastward, it passes this star on the 15th, providing another reference point for following the planet’s motion against Leo.
Watch the Gap Widen
As Venus moves eastward, the gaps to Regulus are: July 10, 1.6°; July 11, 2.6°; July 12, 3.6°; and July 13, 4.7°. Venus and Regulus easily fit into the same binocular field during these evenings.
Watch Venus step eastward in front of Leo and open a widening gap with Regulus.
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