Rare Lunar Event: Moon Meets the Pleiades Star Cluster and Displays Optical Feature
On Friday, February 16, skywatchers will have the opportunity to witness a rare celestial event as the moon encounters the Pleiades star cluster, also known as Messier 45 (M45). This encounter will also unveil a fascinating optical feature on the moon’s surface that can be observed through telescopes. The half-illuminated 7-day-old moon will be in its first quarter phase during this extraordinary rendezvous.
The Pleiades star cluster, often referred to as the Seven Sisters, will be visible alongside the moon. This cluster, located approximately 44 light-years away from Earth, is an open cluster composed of stars that are believed to have formed from the same collapsing cloud of gas and dust. Out of the roughly 1,000 stars in the Pleiades, about six or seven are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye from our planet.
Throughout history, the Pleiades has held great significance and has been a prominent figure in various cultures and mythologies. In Greek mythology, the Seven Sisters were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Zeus, the ruler of the Greek gods, transformed them into doves and then stars. Each of the seven brightest stars in the Pleiades is named after one of these sisters, while two other bright stars are named after their parents.
The Pleiades star cluster stretches for about 17.5 light-years and hosts a population of stars with a total mass equivalent to approximately 800 suns. Its gravitational influence extends even further, with its “tidal radius” reaching up to around 43 light-years from the cluster.
During this celestial encounter, two lunar landscape features known as Lunar X and Lunar V will be visible. These features are named after their resemblance to the letters X and V and appear near the terminator line on the moon’s visible disk. Lunar X is created by the way sunlight hits the rims and ridges of the craters La Caille, Blanchini, and Purbach. On the other hand, Lunar V is the result of sunlight falling on the crater Ukert and other smaller craters.
The moon and the Pleiades will become visible together at around 6:12 p.m. EST (2312 GMT) from New York City. They will be high over the southern horizon. However, as the night progresses, they will eventually set at approximately 1:31 a.m. EST (0631 GMT) on Saturday morning.
While the moon and the Pleiades will be too widely separated to be seen together in the narrow field of view of a telescope, they should be visible next to each other when observed through binoculars. If you’re eager to witness this celestial spectacle or capture it through photography, make sure to equip yourself with a good telescope or binoculars.
For those interested in astrophotography, Space.com provides guides on how to photograph the moon, as well as recommendations for the best cameras and lenses for capturing stunning images of the night sky. If you manage to capture an image of the moon beside the Pleiades, don’t hesitate to share it with Space.com’s readers by sending your photo, comments, name, and location to [email protected].
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness the moon’s encounter with the Pleiades star cluster and catch a glimpse of the captivating Lunar X and Lunar V features. It’s a celestial event that combines beauty, mythology, and scientific wonder in one extraordinary spectacle.