Starwatch: Sliver of moon and bright Venus create delightful twilight conjunction

Three-day-old moon will be about its own width away from luminous planet in constellation of Cancer

A silver sliver of moon joins the bright beacon of Venus this week for a delightful twilight conjunction. The moon will be just over three days old and only 11% of its visible surface will be illuminated.

Venus will be burning brightly and less than a moon’s width away from our natural satellite. The pair will be situated in the constellation of Cancer, the crab. The chart shows the view looking west from London at 21.45 BST on 17 June 2026. From the UK, the pairing will be low in the sky, so choose the clearest western horizon you can find.

As ever with a young moon like this, look out for the Earthshine in the unilluminated portion of the disc as the sky darkens. This is the sunlight reflected from Earth on to the moon and back again.

This would also be a fine target if you happen to have a pair of binoculars handy. However, do not start sweeping them across the sky until the sun has completely set below the horizon. Even a glimpse of it through any optical device can permanently damage your eyesight.

From the southern hemisphere, the conjunction should be easier to see because it happens earlier in the evening and somewhat higher in the sky.