Another breathtaking celestial event is in the offing. The stargazers in North America are ready for a skywatching spectacle on Sunday, July 20, when the two beautiful objects, Moon and star constellation, align head on.
What is meant by “Seven Sisters”?
The “Seven Sisters” refers to Pleiades, an open star cluster that is located in the constellation Taurus. It is one of the most well-known star clusters in the night sky.
However, the cluster contains thousands of stars, only seven can be seen from the naked eye.
The name comes from Greek mythology, representing the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the sea nymph Pleione.
Seven Sisters Eclipse
It is the lunar occultation of the Pleiades. An occultation occurs when one celestial body passes in front of another, temporarily blocking the other’s view.
In this scenario, a waning crescent moon, just 24% bright, will appear in front of the Pleiades star cluster (Seven Sisters), leading to eclipse or occultation.
Locations of the Eclipse
The event, though rare in nature, will be visible before sunrise across US, Canada, and parts of Mexico.
However, in other parts of the world, the moon will not pass directly in front of the cluster.
The best time to watch eclipse
To witness the alignment of the moon and Pleiades together in the night sky, one has to be outside between 2:00 a.m. EDT when the pair rises in the east-northeast and 5:00 a.m. EDT when dawn breaks.
What does it look like?
During the celestial activity, the moon will pass in front of the brightest stars of the Pleiades, including Alcyone, the brightest and overshadow its brightness. The whole phenomenon is nothing more than a line-of-sight illusion.
How to view
The soft glow of the crescent moon blocking the light of Pleiades can be seen both through naked eyes and binoculars.
What’s next in the night sky
On July 21, one can see the moon below the Pleiades, showing a four-pointed shape with Venus and Aldebaran.
So, all you need is an alarm clock and a clear view of the east northeast horizon to enjoy the spectacular night.