Skywatchers worldwide are tracking a brilliant celestial conjunction as Venus and a crescent moon light up the post-sunset sky this week. Following a razor-thin lunar phase and planetary alignments visible across multiple continents, astronomers and photographers have captured exceptional views of the glowing cosmic duo.
Global Astrophotographers Capture the Venus and Crescent Moon Conjunction
Stargazers around the world spent recent evenings aiming cameras at the western horizon to document a striking celestial pairing. The razor-thin lunar crescent appeared just days after the new moon phase on May 16, illuminated by earthshine—a phenomenon where sunlight reflected from Earth’s surface and atmosphere bathes the shadowed expanse of the moon’s disk in a soft glow.
Venus accompanied the moon through the late spring sky, shining as a dazzling star-like object above major cityscapes and historic landmarks. In New York City, photographer Gary Hershorn captured Venus shining to the left of the crescent moon above the One World Trade Center on May 18 as the glow of dusk illuminated the Manhattan skyline. Hershorn also snapped a well-timed shot of a passenger aircraft speeding through the skies above Manhattan alongside the celestial duo that same night, before the 7%-lit crescent moon slipped from view below the western horizon. In China’s Hainan Province, Meng Zhongde photographed the duo shining in the twilight sky on May 19 while earthshine illuminated the lunar disk.
Geometric Alignments and Rare Framing Across Europe
European photographers found unique architectural angles to frame the planetary pairing. In Catania, Italy, Giuseppe Pappa took a mathematical approach by photographing the moon, Venus, and the gas giant Jupiter on May 19 before calculating the precise angles between them.
“The three celestial bodies aligned perfectly in the evening sky, forming a geometric isosceles triangle,” Pappa told Space.com in an email. “Jupiter (top left) and Venus (bottom right) sit at the base of the triangle with an identical angle of 10°. The Moon rests at the vertex(V), in the center of the scene, creating a wide 160° angle.”
Giuseppe Pappa
In Rome, Paolo Palma caught Venus peeking through the columns in the dome of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul during the conjunction.
Understanding the Lunar Cycle and the Waning Crescent Phase
While evening conjunctions offer striking photo opportunities, the moon’s broader monthly cycle continues to dictate morning visibility. The waning crescent Moon is visible in the early morning sky this week, from September 7 through September 10, 2026, as the lunar body approaches the end of its roughly 29.5-day cycle.
Having passed the Third Quarter phase on September 4, the Moon is gradually becoming thinner and will continue to lose its illuminated portion until reaching the New Moon phase late Thursday, September 10, at 11:27 p.m. EDT in the United States, according to astronomical calculations. During this phase, the visible illuminated portion shrinks from about 50 percent toward zero, and because of time-zone differences, the New Moon falls on September 11 in parts of the world.
For skywatchers in the United States, the waning crescent is visible during the early morning hours from September 7 through September 10, weather permitting, by looking toward the eastern sky before sunrise. On September 8, the crescent Moon will also appear close to Jupiter, creating a notable pairing in the early morning sky.
Upcoming September Alignments and Visibility Forecasts
The celestial calendar brings another major event on Monday, September 14, 2026, when Venus and the moon will appear next to each other in the night sky in a lovely spectacle as Venus is about to reach peak brightness. While a moon/Venus conjunction is a common occurrence, catching it when Venus is at peak brightness makes it all the more exciting, providing a wonderful photo opportunity for stargazers everywhere.
The Planetary Society notes that a planetary conjunction is when two or more planets appear close together from our perspective on Earth, even though they’re millions of miles apart. For this upcoming event, the moon will be a thin waxing crescent, making Venus the star of the show.
The conjunction will be the easiest to see just after twilight, when Venus is at its brightest, by looking as far to the South as you can to see the alignment without needing any help to spot the bright planet. According to EarthSky.org, for those wanting to see Venus after the conjunction on Monday night, the planet will still be shining the brightest of the whole year for this week.
Viewing conditions will vary by region. For those in the eastern U.S., it’ll be a great night for skywatching, as cloud coverage is almost nonexistent. However, according to the FOX Forecast Center, those in the western half of the country will have a harder time, with lots of clouds blocking their views.
