Category: Lunar Events
Waxing and waning from new to full and back again
The Moon and Saturn
There will be a bright triangle in the sky tonight made up of the Moon, Saturn and Spica. All three will be within 10° of each other. The Moon will dominate the trio at over 87% illumination as it waxes towards full. Saturn will be shining at 0.4 magnitude while Spica is very close to 1.0 magnitude.
Full Moon
The Moon and Mars
This evening will see the Moon pass by Mars. The two will be about 12° apart tonight and about the same tomorrow night. As the red planet passed through opposition on the 3rd it is still quite bright at -1.2 magnitude, a nice match for a nearly full Moon.
The Moon and Pleiades
Tonight a bright half Moon will be just under 4° from the Pleiades star cluster. The Moon will be 43% illuminated, bright, but the cluster is bright enough to be seen even against a bright Moon. As the Pleiades move to the west over coming months there will be a few more lunar conjunctions, with increasingly smaller crescents.
The Moon and Jupiter
As the Moon slides along the line of planets in the evening sky, it becomes Jupiter’s turn to make a pair. The Moon and Jupiter will be under 4° apart tonight. A brilliant pair with the -2.2 magnitude Jupiter beside a 25% illuminated crescent Moon.
The Moon and Venus
Yesterday saw the Moon near Venus, tonight will see the pair even closer. It will be hard to miss the bright pair only 5° apart. Venus will be shining brilliantly at about -4.2 magnitude next to a 17% illuminated Moon. Jupiter can be seen 16° above the pair. Mercury is visible just above the sunset.
The Moon and Venus
The nice evening planetary alignment continues tonight. This evening will feature a nice pairing of Venus and the Moon. It will be hard to miss the bright pair only 8° apart. Venus will be shining brilliantly at about -4.2 magnitude next to a 10% illuminated Moon. Jupiter can be seen 16° above the pair. Mercury is visible just above the sunset. The Moon and Venus will be even closer tomorrow night, only 5° apart.
Postcard from the Universe – The Moon and Mercury
A very thin Moon could be seen last night. Only 1.1 days old the Moon was only 1.6% illuminated, a thin crescent indeed. A few degrees away was Mercury. I did get a couple photos with a telephoto lens before the clouds moved in and obscured the view…
The Moon and Mercury
This evening a thin crescent Moon will join Mercury in the sunset. The pair will be separated by just under 6°, at about the same elevation and 15° above the horizon at sunset. The Moon will be extremely thin, only 1.7% illuminated, while Mercury is shining at -1.2 magnitude.