Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Monday, March 26th.  The sun will rise at 7:33.  It’ll be up for 12 hours and 29 minutes, setting at 8:03.   The moon, half way from new to first quarter, will set at 12:25 tomorrow morning.

Yesterday the moon moved past Jupiter in the sky.  Today the moon will pass Venus, the brightest planet.  Check them out in the west southwest in the evening after sunset.  Venus is going to be at greatest elongation from the sun tomorrow.  Venus is at an angle of 46 degrees from the sun, and it will soon diminish.  As it does, this is the best time to view Venus in a telescope.  400 years ago Galileo observed Venus with his small telescope and observed that Venus had phases like the moon, and its size changed proving that Venus orbited the sun and not the earth.  You can repeat his observations this spring.  Venus now appears about half illuminated by the sun, like the quarter moon.  Its phase will thin and it will grow in size.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The Moon passing Venus with Jupiter below. Created using Stellarium.