Waning Crescent Moon Meets Pleiades on 11 July
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- The waning crescent moon will pass the Pleiades (M45, the Seven Sisters) in the early hours of 11 July, with only 15% of its visible hemisphere illuminated and its sunlit limb pointing toward the horizon; the cluster sits off the moon's dark limb.
- The Pleiades often looks like a mini version of the Plough to the naked eye, and despite the "Seven Sisters" nickname, most observers see only six stars — binoculars reveal many more.
- The best viewing window from London is 3am BST looking east-north-east, but a clear, low horizon is essential because the sky will already be brightening for dawn.
- Mars will also be nearby in Taurus, sitting even lower toward the horizon, making it a difficult but rewarding catch in the rapidly brightening sky.
- Southern hemisphere observers can see the same pairing, though Taurus rises in the north-east rather than the east-north-east.
Why it matters: This pre-dawn conjunction gives casual skywatchers a chance to see the Pleiades alongside a slim 15%-illuminated crescent moon, but the rapidly brightening sky means the usable window is short — a clear, low horizon is non-negotiable, and Mars adds a harder third target in Taurus for those willing to look.
