NEW Trade AnalyticsExplore the demo
QuantLogic.io
Setup library
October 22, 2026FrançaisEspañol

Morning star and evening star: what they are, and how to test them

A morning star is a three-candle turn: a big red candle, a small candle where the fall stalls, then a green candle that closes back above the middle of the first one. The evening star is the mirror image. Here is the exact rule QuantLogic uses, and how to test both.

Middle of the first bodyMorning star
The level the idea readsThe bar where the idea firesA drawn example, not market data.

What it is

The first candle is a strong move, the second a small candle that goes nowhere, the third a strong move back the other way.

Books often ask for gaps between the candles. Futures trade almost around the clock, so the rule here does not.

The exact rule QuantLogic uses

Morning star (the long side), on one-minute bars. The evening star is the mirror image.

  1. Two bars ago: a red bar whose body is at least 60% of its range.
  2. The bar before: a small bar whose body is at most 30% of its range.
  3. This bar: green, closing above the middle of the first bar's body.

When is it known? Known when the third bar closes.

Versions you can build

  • Morning star. Big red bar, small bar, green close above the middle of the red body.
  • Evening star. Big green bar, small bar, red close below the middle of the green body.

What to look at around it

In QuantLogic, every time the idea happened is laid out with the data points around it, so you can see where it held and where it didn't:

Time of day and sessionEconomic calendar and newsVWAP distanceGamma regime, flip and wallsYesterday's value area and pivotsVolatilityNQ vs ES since the openUp or down on the day

Traps when you test it

  • Drawing it only where it turned out well. Every three-bar match counts, including the ones that failed.
  • Asking for gaps that intraday futures rarely make. The rule here uses the bodies, not gaps.
  • Testing one side only. Check the evening stars as well.

Build it and test it yourself

Open Morning star in Build with QuantLogic. See every time it happened on NQ, ES, Gold or Crude since September 2025, check the long and the short side, add your own filters and run the luck test.

Build this setupSee plans

Nothing is proven until it holds live. We give no trading signals and no advice, we never hold your money or your accounts, and we never trade for you.

Questions

Does the middle candle have to gap?
No. It only has to be small: a body no bigger than 30% of its range.
How far back does the third candle have to close?
Past the middle of the first candle's body: above it for a morning star, below it for an evening star.
Is a morning star a sign to buy?
No. It describes three candles. QuantLogic gives no signals; you test the idea and decide.

Related setups

Educational content, not investment advice. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss. See the risk disclosure.