Tag Archives: open star cluster

Moon on the Move

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   Over the next few evenings, Saturday December 14th, Sunday the 15th, and Monday the 16th the waning gibbous Moon will orbit eastward starting from about 7-8o south of Pollux to passing about 6-8o from M-44, the ‘Beehive Cluster’, an open star cluster in the constellation Cancer the Crab. By Monday the 16th the waning gibbous Moon will be about 2o from the heart of Leo the Lion, the star Regulus.
   During a 24-hour rotation of the Earth the Moon will have moved approximately 15o eastward. In terms of Moon position that 15o is equal to one hour — (divide 360o by 24 hours = 15o). What this has to do with the Moon’s position is that each day or night the Moon rises about 1 hour earlier. These 3 graphics show the effect of this in that it will be about 1 hour later for the Moon to be more or less in the same spot in the sky relative to the horizon.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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Waning Crescent Moon Near the Beehive Cluster

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  If you are an early riser, on Tuesday morning October 22nd before the Sun rises, look for the 23-day old waning crescent Moon to be about 3-4o from the open star cluster M-44, also known as the Beehive Cluster. This is a group of around 1000 stars estimated to around 500-600 light years distant.
   The two will fit within the field of view of binoculars however the Moon has an apparent magnitude of -12 compared to the 3.5 apparent magnitude of the Beehive Cluster so it will be a challenge to see it near the much brighter Moon.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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When the Moon Hits Your Eye

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Thursday evening October 17th look for the 19-day old waning gibbous Moon to be rising with the stars of the open star cluster the Hyades. The Moon will be about 3-4o from the reddish star Aldebaran. Aldebaran represents the ‘angry eye’ of Taurus the Bull, and is at the end of the v-shaped asterism, the Hyades.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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Moon in Conjunction with Uranus

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   Wednesday October 16th the 18-day old waxing gibbous Moon will rise in the east near the two open star clusters in the constellation of Taurus the Bull. These are the Hyades, a v-shaped asterism making up the face of the Bull, and the Pleiades (aka the 7 Sisters) a small dipper-shaped group of stars on the shoulder of the Bull.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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Waning Gibbous Moon Near the Hyades

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   Late Thursday night September 19th or very early Thursday morning September 20th the 22-day old waning gibbous Moon will be rising with the stars making up the v-shaped face of Taurus the Bull. These are the Hyades. The point of the v-shape is the nose of the bull while at the opposite ends are the eyes. Most noticeably is the reddish star Aldebaran, which from the mythology is the Bull’s ‘angry eye’.

   The Moon will be about 4-5o to the west from Aldebaran and will may occult some of the stars making up the Hyades. At sunrise local time the Moon will be over the southern horizon and then sets around midday or early afternoon.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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Waning Gibbous Moon Near the Pleiades

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   Late Wednesday night September 18th the 20-day old waning gibbous Moon will be rising with the stars making up the small dipper-shaped asterism known as the Pleiades. The Moon will be about 10o to the west from the Pleiades.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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A Bullish Moon, or A Moon – Bull Conjunction, or Bull Gets Mooned!

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   Over the next 3 mornings, July 26, 27,and 28 before sunrise, the waning crescent Moon will be moving across the shoulders and head of the constellation Taurus the Bull. As it traverses the constellation pattern the waning Moon will come within about 8o from the open star cluster, the Pleiades and within about 4-5o from the v-shaped open star cluster the Hyades.
   This should make for some good viewing through binoculars, especially on the 27th when the Moon passes about 2-3o from the reddish star Aldebaran in the Hyades. How close the conjunction between the Moon and Aldebaran will be depends greatly on your viewing location’s longitude. This graphic is for when the two are their closest which is 2.5o around 1 UT (8 pm CDT).


   
   
   


Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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