Crescent Moon Meets Planets (before sunrise)

After 24 hours of additional eastward orbital motion, the very slim crescent of the old moon will shine within a triangle composed of three planets before sunrise on Friday morning, April 25. Locate brilliant Venus and then look for the moon about a binoculars’ field of view (orange circle) to its lower left. Less bright Saturn will appear below Venus and to the right of the moon, while Mercury will be positioned about a fist’s diameter to the lower left of the two planets. You’ll need an unobstructed, cloud-view view to the east to see them from moonrise around 4:40 a.m. local time until the sky brightens enough to hide all but Venus. Observers closer to tropical latitudes will see the grouping, which will be oriented up-down, more easily.