2026, September 15-18: Watch the waxing crescent moon pass Antares, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, and Sagittarius. See earthshine, photograph the lunar crescent, and follow the moon’s path toward the Harvest Moon.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
September’s Evening Crescent Moon
The moon waxes toward the Harvest Moon phase, passing Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, and Sagittarius.
Highlights
As brilliant Venus disappears into evening twilight, the crescent moon opens a gap with the Evening Star. Here’s what to see at 45 minutes after sunset:
- September 15: The lunar crescent, 24% illuminated, is less than 10° above the southwest horizon, over 18° to Venus’ upper left. The Evening Star is low in the west-southwest. The moon is in front of Libra, less than 20° to Antares’ lower right, Scorpius’ brightest star. Tonight, look for earthshine on the moon’s night portion from sunlight reflecting from Earth’s features. The effect is visible to the unaided eye and is a nice view through a binocular or spotting scope. Photograph it with a tripod-mounted camera or a steady camera phone. Use exposures up to a few seconds. Vary the zoom to capture the moon with Antares and Venus or include only the crescent.
- September 16: This evening the moon, 33% illuminated, is less than 15° above the southwest horizon. It is 6.5° to Antares’ lower right. Look carefully for Pi Scorpii (π Sco), 0.8° to the moon’s upper right. Use a binocular. The moon is bright enough this evening to cast shadows on the ground.
- September 17: The thick crescent moon, 42% illuminated, is 16° above the south-southwest horizon, 5.8° to Antares’ left. Find the curved end of Scorpius’ tail, Shaula, stinger, and Lesath, 12° to the moon’s lower left. Tonight, even while close to Antares, the lunar orb is in front of Ophiuchus, nearly 15° below Sabik, the constellation’s right knee.
- September 18: The First Quarter phase occurs at 3:44 p.m. Central Time after the moon rises in the eastern regions of the Americas. After sunset, it is less than 20° above the southern horizon, in front of Sagittarius, 4.1° to Alnasl’s upper right, the tip of the Archer’s arrow. The moon is nearly 20° to Antares’ upper left and nearly 10° to Shaula and Lesath’s upper left.
Watch the moon appear farther east each evening, passing Scorpius and approaching the bright Harvest Moon phases.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, September 15-18: Moon Passes Antares: Earthshine, Scorpius, and the Harvest Moon Path
2026, September 15-18: Watch the waxing crescent moon pass Antares, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, and Sagittarius. See earthshine, photograph the lunar crescent, and follow the moon’s path toward the Harvest Moon. - 2026, September 14: Lunar Crescent Near Venus, Jupiter and Mars Before Sunrise
September 14, 2026: The crescent moon appears near Venus after sunset while Jupiter and Mars shine before sunrise. Saturn nears opposition, Uranus is easy to locate near the Pleiades, and Neptune remains a challenging binocular target. - 2026, September 13-14: Crescent Moon Returns to Venus in Evening Twilight
September 13-14, 2026: The young crescent moon returns to the evening sky near brilliant Venus. Watch the lunar crescent, Venus, and possibly Spica low in the west-southwest after sunset. - 2026, September 12: Mars Passes Castor Before Sunrise While Closing on Jupiter
September 12, 2026: Before sunrise, Mars passes Castor in a wide conjunction while continuing its eastward march in front of Gemini. Jupiter shines lower in the eastern sky as Mars slowly closes the gap for their November conjunction. - 2026, September 11: Venus in Evening Twilight, Saturn Nears Opposition, Jupiter and Mars Before Sunrise
September 11, 2026: Brilliant Venus appears deeper into evening twilight while Saturn approaches opposition. Before sunrise, Jupiter and Mars shine from the eastern sky as Mars closes the gap to Jupiter.