It's been a great week for naked-eye stargazing. Venus, Jupiter and the thin crescent Moon have been visible together in the west every evening after sunset, making for a spectacular view.
This has been one of those celestial events best-seen with the naked eye.
In fact, telescopes or even binoculars would restrict the field of view too much, distracting from just how beautiful the alignment between the two planets and the crescent Moon has been.
Venus is currently improving night after night, remaining higher and for longer in the west after sunset.
When Venus is at its best like this, it's truly a sight to behold, and a clear reminder of why it's known as the Evening Star.
Jupiter, meanwhile, has been fantastic so far this year, but is declining in visibility with each passing evening. However, it's not done just yet.
Jupiter is sinking towards the Sun, while Venus is rising away from the Sun, and the two will meet in a few weeks' time for the Venus–Jupiter conjunction of 9 June 2026.
A beautiful thin crescent Moon, one day old, setting beside the Loggia of Julius II at Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy, captured by Paolo Palma, 17 May 2026
But back to this week's stargazing spectacle. The Moon was at new Moon on 16 May, which is when it's on the same side of Earth as the Sun, and is therefore swallowed by the Sun's glare.
By 17 May, the Moon was beginning to move away from the Sun and was a very thin, slender crescent.
That crescent has been increasing in size each evening this week, producing a beautiful crescent Moon just in time for its alignment with Venus and Jupiter.
Of course, this is all a matter of perspective. Venus, Jupiter and the Moon aren't really close together: they just appear aligned in the night sky as we look our across the Solar System.
Here are some of the best images we've received this week – so far – of the crescent Moon and its meeting with Venus and Jupiter.
Thanks to Giovanni Passalacqua for sending us this wonderful image of the thin crescent Moon from Ragusa, Sicily, Italy, 17 May 2026, 20:50 local time. Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 600mm lens, Manfrotto tripod. Exposure: ISO 320 f/5.6, 0.8s. Software: Photoshop
If you've missed the Moon and planets this week, fear not. Tonight, 20 May, the Moon will be high in the sky, above and to the left of Jupiter, with Venus low in the west.
This is our final evening for catching the three bodies in the same patch of sky, for now.
If the weather forecast says it's clear tonight where you are, get out and take a look in the western sky immediately after sunset.
Venus will be low towards the horizon, while Jupiter and the Moon will much higher. If need be, use a good stargazing app to help you locate the planets.
A view of Venus and the crescent Moon (centre-right) and Jupiter (top left) captured by Chirag Upreti from Ossining, New York, USA, 18 May 2026. Equipment: Sony A7R3 camera, Sony 24-70mm lens, Leofoto tripod. Exposure: ISO 640, f/7.1, 2sec shutter speedSusan Tyler captured this image of Venus and the crescent Moon from Copperopolis, California, USA, 18 May 2026, with a Google smartphone.Thanks to Britt Noel for sending us this image of Venus and the crescent Moon (right, below centre) and Jupiter (top left), captured from Essex, Maryland, USA, 18 May 2026 around 20:40 local time.Alyssa Giannoni captured this view of the crescent Moon and Venus – visible either side of the middle tree – from Yanuca Island, Coral Coast, Fiji, 18 May 2026Thanks to John van Nerum for sending us his capture of the crescent Moon with Venus and Jupiter on 18 May 2026. John has helpfully labelled his image to pinpoint which planet is which! John captured the image from Capelle ann den IJssel, Netherlands, 18 May 2026. Equipment: Canon EOS 80D DSLR cameraPaolo Palma sent us this image of Venus and the crescent Moon over the dome of the Basilica of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Rome, Italy, 18 May 2026Another image from Paolo Palma of Venus and the crescent Moon over the dome of the Basilica of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Rome, Italy, 18 May 2026. Here, Venus is visible through the windows in the dome's lanternThe crescent Moon and Venus framed by 'The Angel' sculpture, Ossining, New York, USA, 18 May 2026, captured by Chirag Upreti. Equipment: Sony A7R3 camera, Sony 70–200mm lens, Left tripod. Exposure: ISO 1600, f/4.5, 2.5 sec shutter speedWanjiru Consolata captured this view of Venus, the crescent Moon and Jupiter from the Makadara area of Nairobi, Kenya, 19 May 2026. Venus is just above the left side of the large tree. The crescent Moon is above Venus. Further up, the bright 'star' is Jupiter. To Jupiter's right is Pollox, one of the twin stars of GeminiAmanda Millard sent us this view of Venus, the crescent Moon and Jupiter from Fensmark, Zealand, Denmark, 19 May 2026. Venus is on the bottom right of the image. Jupiter is on the left, above the chimney top. The two brightest stars above Jupiter, forming an isosceles triangle with the Moon, are Castor and Pollox, the twin stars of Gemini.Dan McCarthy sent us this image of Venus (bottom), the crescent Moon and Jupiter (top), captured from Atlantic Beach, Florida, USA, 19 May 2026A beautiful view of the crescent Moon with Venus (bottom right) and Jupiter (top left), captured by Giovanni Passalacqua from Marina di Modica, Sicily, Italy, 19 May 2026. Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 35mm lens, Manfrotto tripod. Exposure: ISO 2000, f/2.2, 2.8s. Software: PhotoshopBehyar Bakhshandeh managed to capture this view of Venus, the crescent Moon and Jupiter along with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket tail over Carlsbad, California, USA. Behyar says: "The sunset was especially orange due to smoke from local fires in Southern California." Equipment: Canon 5D Mark III Camera, Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens. Exposure: ISO 400, f/4, 1.7 sec
If you've photographed Venus, the crescent Moon and Jupiter this week, send us your best shots by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
Iain Todd is BBC Sky at Night Magazine's Content Editor who has been writing about astronomy and space science for over a decade. He has covered major stargazing events, space launches and the latest news in cosmology, astrophysics, planetary and space science.
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