Luna Faces The Bull

The just-past first quarter Moon in the Hyades (Source: AstroBob)

Got plans for tonight? Got a pair of binoculars and fifteen minutes to spare? Then take a short excursion out into the chill with your loved ones to enjoy the sight of the Moon passing between Earth and the Hyades!

How can you observe this spectacle? Simple; dress warmly, step outside after evening twilight ends,  and find the Moon. Aim your binoculars at Luna, and it should be joined in the field of view by a lovely sprinkling of dim and bright stars. Focus to taste, and enjoy!

The Hyades, the V-shaped "face" of the constellation Taurus the Bull, is actually a star cluster located approximately 150 light-years from the Sun. This makes it the nearest open cluster to the Solar System. While we can see a few dozen individual stars with binoculars there are actually several hundred single and double suns to be found here. A few of these "Doubles" are circled above.

The brightest star to be seen is Aldebaran (a Tauri), which at a distance of 65 light-years is actually not a member of the star cluster. Aldebaran is an older giant star and gleams red only a couple of degrees to the lower left of the Moon;  you can easily spot it with the naked eye!

Anytime this evening you'll be able to step outside and see this lovely event. If you go out several times separated by an hour or so you'll be able to actually see Luna "backing" her way through the cluster, her eastward orbital motion slightly mitigating the effect of Earth's rotation and making the satellite appear to cruise through the Hyades until moonset just after midnight.

It's well worth a look, and I hope you'll have fairly clear skies. Be sure to leave a comment and tell me about your stargazing experience, and of course I welcome your questions!