Tonight

Moon near Teapot – toward Milky Way center – tonight

Green line of ecliptic with thin crescent moon near an outlined teapot shape.
Look for the waxing crescent moon near the Teapot stars of Sagittarius shortly after sunset on November 25 and 26, 2022. By the way, the thin crescent moon looks beautiful with earthshine. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view from your location, try Stellarium Online.

November 25 and 26 evenings: Moon near the Teapot

Soon our summer constellations will disappear from the evening sky. However, on the evenings of November 25 and 26, 2022, you can see the very young waxing crescent moon visiting the Teapot of Sagittarius the Archer. While the Teapot is quickly sinking more each day, it is still noticeable in a dark sky. The best time to look is about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset.

Also, the darkened side of the thin crescent moon will be glowing with earthshine. It’s always a lovely sight!

Available now! 2023 EarthSky lunar calendar. A unique and beautiful poster-sized calendar showing phases of the moon every night of the year. Makes a great gift!

The Teapot points to the center of our galaxy

The Teapot is a famous asterism and helps observers identify several important astronomical spots in the sky. The spout points towards the center of our Milky Way galaxy. And, although you can’t see the Teapot then, the sun shines near it each year on the December solstice, around December 21.

By the way, unlike many star patterns, the Teapot looks like its namesake. That’s because its stars easily form an old-fashioned teapot, complete with handle, spout and lid. But just be sure to head to a dark sky for your best views of this rich region of the Milky Way.

Then, assuming you look early enough and have a dark sky, you can see steam billowing out of the spout. This steam is the glow from the thickest part of the Milky Way. In fact, you’ll be gazing toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Unfortunately, depending on when you look, the galactic center may already below the horizon in late November.

Bottom line: On the evenings of November 25 and 26, 2022, you can see the very young waxing crescent moon near the Teapot of Sagittarius.

For more great observing events in the coming weeks, visit EarthSky’s night sky guide

Posted 
November 26, 2022
 in 
Tonight

Like what you read?
Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.

Your email address will only be used for EarthSky content. Privacy Policy
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

More from 

Marcy Curran

View All