Starwatch: Waning Crescent Moon Pairs with the Seven Sisters
In the early hours of 11 July, the waning crescent moon will pass close to the Pleiades star cluster, also known as M45 or the Seven Sisters.
The accompanying chart illustrates the view looking east-north-east from London at 3am BST. At this time, the sky will be beginning to brighten in preparation for the coming day, so a clear, low horizon is essential to observe this celestial pairing.
The moon will be the easiest object to locate: a thin crescent just a few days old, with only 15% of its visible hemisphere illuminated. Its sunlit limb will be oriented downward toward the horizon. The compact smudge of the Pleiades cluster will be positioned just off the opposite, dark limb of the moon.
To the naked eye, the Pleiades cluster often resembles a miniature version of the Plough. Despite its popular name, most observers see only six stars without optical aid. However, binoculars will reveal many more stars within the cluster.
Mars will also be nearby, situated even lower toward the horizon within the constellation Taurus, the Bull. Spotting Mars will be challenging due to the rapidly brightening sky but rewarding for those who can identify it. This view is also visible from the southern hemisphere, although Taurus rises in the north-east there.
