The Moon has been skirting close to the Pleiades open cluster for several months, sometimes passing across some of its outer members.
However, on 1 April, starting under conditions of deep twilight, from the vantage location of the UK the waxing crescent Moon will pass right across the cluster’s core, occulting most of the brighter members.
The Pleiades photographed by Richard O’Reilly, St Albans, Hertfordshire, 3 January 2025
The Pleiades photographed by Richard O’Reilly, St Albans, Hertfordshire, 3 January 2025
Conditions for this are ideal for the UK, the occultation beginning at the start of the month when the Pleiades still have a decent altitude as darkness falls.
On 1 April at 21:00 BST (20:00 UT) under darkening twilight, the Pleiades are 30° above the western horizon.
At the end of the month, under similar lighting conditions at 22:20 BST (21:20 UT), their altitude drops to just 4°.
The Moon passes in front of the Pleiades on 1 April 2025. Credit: Pete Lawrence
The Moon passes in front of the Pleiades on 1 April 2025. Credit: Pete Lawrence
How to see it
The Moon will be at a 16%-lit waxing phase on 1 April. This is ideal as the brightness of the fully illuminated portion of the Moon’s disc won’t be sufficient to drown the brighter stars of the Pleiades cluster.
Consequently, the Moon’s approach to the Pleiades should be just about visible with the naked eye.
Binoculars will show the approach and occultations really well, as will a small telescope using a low-power eyepiece.
A high magnification can be used to view the individual occultation events, but you will lose the overall context of the cluster.
The Moon and the Pleiades star cluster. Credit: Pete Lawrence
The Moon and the Pleiades star cluster. Credit: Pete Lawrence
A matter of perspective
As with other such instances where two celestial bodies appear close to each other in the night sky, the Moon won't actually be anywhere near the Pleiades.
The Pleiades cluster is 444 lightyears from Earth. The Moon, on the other hand, is much closer at around 360,000km away at the time of the occultation.
The Moon only appears to pass in front of the Pleiades from our pespective.
But as a consequence, different locations within the UK experience different occultation timings, due to lunar parallax.
This is the apparent shift in the Moon’s position relative to a more distant body when seen from varying locations.
The timings shown here are for the centre of the UK.
Those who live further north will see the Moon’s apparent position shift further south relative to the cluster; those to the south will see the Moon shift slightly north.
Eyes of Clavius by Avani Soares, Parsec Observatory, Canoas, Brazil. Equipment: C14 Edge, ASI 224, Powermate 2X, L filter
Can you spot the Eyes of Clavius on the Moon this week? Credit: Avani Soares, Parsec Observatory, Canoas, Brazil
Take a closer look at the Moon
If the weather doesn’t work out, there are plenty of other Moon-related events to see in April 2025, including several Moon–planet conjunctions and several interesting clair-obscur events.
For example, on 6 April at 03:00 BST (02:00 UT), there’s the Stars of Aristillus, a lunar dawn event where mountain peaks in the crater Aristillus resemble a star cluster.
The Eyes of Clavius effect is visible later that day around 18:35 BST (17:35 UT) and Plato’s Hook at 23:40 BST (22:40 UT), also on 6 April.
Find out more in our guide on what to see in the night sky tonight.
If you do observe the Moon passing in front of the Pleiades, share your experience and images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com