Starwatch: A Venus-spotting challenge with a beautiful reward
Astronomers are encouraged to spot Venus and a young crescent moon in the evening sky on Monday, September 14, 2026. Although the two celestial bodies pass closest to each other during daylight hours, they remain a visible pairing in the south-western sky for UK observers. The article provides guidance on locating the moon first to help identify the bright planet as the sun sets.
- ▪Venus and a 14% illuminated crescent moon will make a close encounter on Monday evening.
- ▪The closest approach between the two objects occurs around lunchtime, which is during daylight hours.
- ▪UK observers should look towards the south-west at 6:30 pm to find the celestial pair.
- ▪Southern hemisphere observers will see the moon and Venus higher in the evening sky after sunset.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — Science |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/sep/14/starwatch-venus-spotting-challenge |
| Publication time | Mon, 14 Sep 2026 05:00:23 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-14T07:16:51.069Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-14T07:16:51.069Z |
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| Cluster | DZrohonOtCLq · 1 stories |
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Illustration: The GuardianView image in fullscreen Illustration: The GuardianStarwatchAstronomyStarwatch: A Venus-spotting challenge with a beautiful rewardThe bright planet and the young crescent moon will make an attractive pairing on Monday eveningStuart ClarkMon 14 Sep 2026 01.00 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThis week’s Starwatch is a challenge but a beautiful reward awaits for anyone who succeeds. The question is: how early in the evening can we find Venus?On Monday, the bright planet has a close encounter with a young crescent moon. The moon will be just over three days old with about 14% of its visible surface illuminated.
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