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4w ago

Crescent Moon Joins Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in a Low‑West Evening Planet Parade

Observers are advised to look about 30 to 60 minutes after sunset because the grouping is brightest then and will draw closer ahead of a June 9–11 Venus–Jupiter conjunction.

Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury are lining up in the western sky after sunset this week — and a Blue Moon is sliding past Antares — in a run of evening sky events that won’t be matched again for years
Jupiter (lower left) blazes just above the treetops in this 2019 astroimage. Credit: Paul (Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
A conjunction of Venus and Regulus easily catches the eye to the right of center in this 2020 photo. A similar conjunction occurs this month, with their positions swapped. Credit: Alan Dyer
Image

Overview

  • The waxing crescent Moon moved close to Jupiter this week, giving skywatchers an easy landmark to spot bright Venus and the much fainter Mercury low over the western horizon.
  • Look roughly 30 to 60 minutes after sunset for the best view, with regional windows provided by trackers to account for latitude and local twilight conditions.
  • Mercury sits within about 5 degrees of the horizon and will often need binoculars or an unobstructed western horizon to be seen, while Venus and Jupiter are visible to the naked eye.
  • Binoculars of about 10x50 help reveal the nearby Beehive star cluster and Mercury, a 4‑inch telescope can show Venus’s disk, and a 6‑inch scope will begin to resolve Jupiter’s cloud bands and its four largest moons.
  • The nightly tightening of Venus and Jupiter will continue through late May and set up a close conjunction on June 9–11, offering more striking views and photo opportunities for casual observers and amateur astronomers.