Moon sighting: can you see the new crescent tonight?
At sunset on 2026-11-11 at New York the Moon is 2.6 days old and 6.6% lit, 5° high at the best viewing time. It meets all three visibility limits, so a clear western horizon should show it.
Crescent at your place
The evening crescent at your place
- Phase
- Waxing Crescent
- Share lit
- 6.6%
- Sunset
- November 11, 2026 at 16:41 EST
- Moonset
- November 11, 2026 at 17:56 EST
- Moon stays up after sunset
- 75 minutes
- Best time to look
- November 11, 2026 at 17:14 EST
- Moon height then
- 5.1°
- Distance from the Sun
- 29.4°
- Age of the Moon
- 2.6 days
- Visibility check
- Passes all three limits
The best time to look is about four ninths of the way from sunset to moonset. A crescent is easiest to find when the Moon is waxing and under 25% lit, at least 5° above the horizon, at least 10° away from the Sun, and sets 40 minutes or more after the Sun. Find a low, clear western horizon: haze or cloud can hide a crescent that passes every limit.
Crescent optics
Astronomical criteria for young crescent sighting
Spotting the razor-thin new crescent Moon (the hilal) marks the beginning of months in traditional lunar calendars. A new crescent cannot be seen immediately at astronomical New Moon because the unlit side faces Earth and the Moon is lost in solar glare.
According to the Danjon limit, a crescent cannot physically form if the angular separation (elongation) between the Sun and Moon is less than approximately 7 degrees, as surface mountains and craters shadow the delicate cusp tips. Sighting requires adequate lag time between sunset and moonset.
- Danjon limit
- 7.0° elongation (minimum for continuous crescent)
- Moon age at sunset
- Typically 15 to 24 hours post-conjunction
- Lag time
- Time between sunset and moonset (30–50 min needed)
- Crescent width (W)
- Arcminutes of illuminated crescent width
Observation window
Optimal timing and atmospheric factors
The optimal window to glimpse an ultra-young crescent opens roughly 20 to 35 minutes following sunset. Looking too early leaves the faint crescent obscured by bright twilight glare; waiting too long allows the Moon to sink below the western horizon or become trapped in hazy atmospheric extinction.
Binoculars (such as 7x50 or 10x50) significantly boost contrast against the twilight glow, allowing observers to sweep the western sky along the computed azimuth before attempting naked-eye confirmation.
- Best window
- 20 to 35 minutes after local sunset
- Sky condition
- Civil twilight gives way to nautical twilight
- Horizon clearance
- Unobstructed western horizon needed
- Optical aid
- Binoculars assist in initial acquisition