At evening dusk on May 12-15, 2021, watch for the young and slender waxing crescent moon in the western twilight sky. On these evenings, the moon will sweep by three bright evening planets. It’ll go by Venus – the brightest planet closest to the horizon – on May 12. It’ll go by Mercury, the solar system’s innermost planet, the following day. Then, on or near May 15, the moon will pass the red planet Mars. Find these worlds – look down at Earth below your feet – and you’ll be seeing the whole inner solar system.
Although the chart is especially designed for mid-northern latitudes in North America, people from around the world can use the moon on these evenings as a guide to this line-up of planets. We’ll all see the planets in the west after sunset. We’ll all see the moon start out as a slim crescent, which waxes larger each evening. Want a more precise view of the moon and planets from your location? Try Stellarium.