A thin crescent moon returns to our evening sky next week, just in time for the planetary lineup. We've been watching the planets Venus and Jupiter appear so close in the southwestern sky about 45 minutes after sunset. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Gemini.
If you've got great visibility like we've had this week, you can pick out Mercury to the far right of the two planets. They almost form a perfect lineup, three planets. Next week will be even more exciting when a thin crescent moon joins the three.
Very few will see the thin moon right next to Mercury on Tuesday night. The moon is both a sliver of light and low, making it hard to find.
More of us will see the moon on Wednesday night, when the moon appears right next to Venus, the brightest of the planets.
But even more observers will see a more illuminated crescent moon on Thursday night, when it appears to the left of the planets and considerably higher.
Don't let anyone tell you that the night sky is a static place. In the last week and looking ahead, there is change every night ahead.
Venus is moving away from Jupiter, shining on its own. And Mercury will soon descend back into the glare of the setting sun.
The best part about these evening shows is the air temperature. We are so used to putting on winter coats to watch an astronomical event. Not now.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., June 12 | 5:06 | 8:16 |
| Sat., June 13 | 5:06 | 8:16 |
| Sun., June 14 | 5:06 | 8:17 |
| Mon., June 15 | 5:06 | 8:17 |
| Tues., June 16 | 5:06 | 8:17 |
| Wed., June 17 | 5:06 | 8:18 |
| Thurs., June 18 | 5:06 | 8:18 |
| Fri., June 19 | 5:06 | 8:18 |
| Day | Max (Fº) | Min (Fº) | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 5 | 76 | 55 | 0.00 |
| June 6 | 83 | 58 | 0.00 |
| June 7 | 75 | 60 | T |
| June 8 | 81 | 56 | 0.00 |
| June 9 | 73 | 53 | 0.00 |
| June 10 | 76 | 58 | 0.00 |
| June 11 | 73 | 61 | 0.03 |
This article appears in June 12, 2026.