Wednesday night offers us an early evening spectacle. A thin crescent moon will appear between Venus and Mercury. But it is a tough sight. The scene is both low in the southwestern sky and of short duration, as they set soon after.
Venus has just recently moved from the morning sky to our evening sky. It is low in the southwest sky in the zodiacal constellation Aquarius, where it will be for a short while. Astronomers estimate the planet is 156 million miles away. It is brilliant and if the sky is clear you'll have no trouble seeing it any night for the next several months.
Next Wednesday night will be more fun. A thin crescent moon will appear near Venus. On the opposite side of the moon you'll see a considerably fainter Mercury. If Mercury is on your bucket list and you've never seen it, you'll get help from the moon. Or, if the moon moves away, use Venus. Venus and Mercury are in a rare moment together low in our southwestern sky after sunset.
You can't miss finding Venus. Mercury is always tough. Use this opportunity.
Try looking for Venus and Mercury together in the nights ahead. The weather is always to fickle to count on a clear night ahead. Take those clear nights when ever you can, especially when you are trying to get a clear view of the southwestern sky.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Feb. 13 | 6:40 | 5:12 |
| Sat., Feb. 14 | 6:38 | 5:13 |
| Sun., Feb. 15 | 6:37 | 5:14 |
| Mon., Feb. 16 | 6:36 | 5:15 |
| Tues., Feb. 17 | 6:34 | 5:17 |
| Wed., Feb. 18 | 6:33 | 5:18 |
| Thurs., Feb. 19 | 6:32 | 5:19 |
| Fri., Feb. 20 | 6:30 | 5:20 |
| Day | Max (Fº) | Min (Fº) | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6 | 35 | 12 | 0.00 |
| Feb. 7 | 37 | 24 | *0.05 |
| Feb. 8 | 33 | 6 | *0.14 |
| Feb. 9 | 20 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Feb. 10 | 31 | 12 | 0.00 |
| Feb. 11 | 37 | 26 | 0.19 |
| Feb. 12 | 44 | 25 | 0.00 |
This article appears in February 13, 2026.