Crescent moon is about to join Venus and Jupiter in evening sky
The celestial display will unfold over three nights, with the moon shifting position as it passes Venus and Jupiter after sunset.
Astrophotographer Josh Dury shared stunning images of the night sky that included the Milky Way, the Lyrid meteor shower and auroras. He hopes to spread awareness of the risk of light pollution.
The new week will begin with one of the top astronomy sights of May as the crescent moon joins Venus and Jupiter in the evening sky.
The first part of the three-night event will unfold Monday evening, when the crescent moon appears close to Venus in the western sky about 45 minutes after sunset in an event known as a conjunction.
A sky chart showing the Venus-moon conjunction on May 18, 2026. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Jupiter will also be visible just above the pair. No telescope will be needed to spot the planets, but one pointed at Jupiter will reveal its four largest moons.
The celestial display will continue on Tuesday evening, though it will look a little different as the moon appears slightly higher in the sky, almost directly between Venus and Jupiter.
A crescent moon and Venus are in close conjunction in the night sky on May 23, 2023, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. (Photo by Pan Yongzhou/VCG via Getty Images)
By Wednesday evening, the moon will rise above the two planets, forming a line over the western horizon.
Venus and Jupiter will remain easy to spot in the evening sky into next month, with Mercury set to join the gathering in early June.
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