Keep an eye on the western sky after sunset this week to witness a beautiful celestial sequence. A young crescent moon will glide past Venus and Jupiter, offering a chance to observe the moon's orbital motion around Earth.
What to See
On 18 May, looking west from London at 22:00, the moon will be just 2.4 days old, with only 6.2% of its visible surface illuminated. Next to this slim crescent, Venus will shine brightly, unmistakable even in twilight. Jupiter sits a little higher and appears dimmer but remains prominent. The stars of Gemini—Castor and Pollux—are the faintest of all.
How to Watch
Over the following nights, the moon moves eastward toward Jupiter, growing in illumination as its angle to the sun changes. For the best view, choose a spot with an unobstructed western horizon. From the Southern Hemisphere, the view is even easier: the ecliptic—the path of the sun, moon, and planets—is tilted more steeply from the horizon, placing the conjunction higher in the sky at sunset.
