A thin crescent moon appears close to the western horizon on Thursday night, just after sunset. The moon is under the bright planet Venus. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Gemini.

With a little more effort you may spot the planet Mercury just to the right of the moon.

A clear unobscured view of the western horizon is essential, as both the Moon and Mercury are so low.

You could start looking for Venus and Mercury together in the evenings ahead. Venus is the easiest of celestial objects to spot in the hour after sunset. Venus hovers in the western sky for hours before setting and can be watched all summer.

Mercury is transient and a far greater challenge. Mercury is really low in the west, but if you see it, you’ll know it. Mercury is below and to the right of Venus.

With the movement of the planets, Mercury gets easier to spot in the weeks ahead. It is highest in the west by mid-July.