The Last Quarter Moon floats in the predawn sky, preparing to occult the Pleiades from some parts of the world.
Last Quarter Moon occurs this month at 1:12 A.M. EDT on August 16. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
- A Last Quarter Moon occurs at 1:12 A.M. EDT, positioned approximately 4° west of the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus before sunrise.
- Uranus, located 4.4° southeast of the Pleiades, is observable near the 6th-magnitude stars 13 and 14 Tauri, exhibiting a magnitude of 5.7 and a 4” apparent disk.
- The Moon will occult several stars within the Pleiades, an event visible from Japan, Korea, and northeast Asia.
- The Moon will pass 5° due north of Uranus at 4 P.M. EDT.
Last Quarter Moon occurs at 1:12 A.M. EDT as sunset sweeps across the lunar nearside following the Full phase last week. Visible in the early-morning sky, the Moon lies just under 4° west of the Pleiades in Taurus some two hours before sunrise, rising in the east. (The Moon will continue to creep closer to the cluster over the course of the day, occulting several stars in the Pleiades in an event visible from Japan, Korea, and northeast Asia.)
Uranus also lies in this region, some 4.4° southeast (to the lower right) of the Pleiades. You can use two closely spaced stars, 13 and 14 Tauri, to help point your way. This pair of 6th-magnitude suns sits 4.5° south of the Pleiades. Separated by some 21’, they are situated in an east-west line, with slightly dimmer 14 Tau marking the easternmost point. This morning, Uranus is 2.7° east of 14 Tau. Shining at magnitude 5.7, Uranus spans 4”, showing off a tiny disk through a telescope. It may appear as a slightly blue-gray, “flat”-looking star.
After plowing through the Pleiades, the Moon passes 5° due north of Uranus later today, at 4 P.M. EDT.
Sunrise: 6:13 A.M.
Sunset: 7:55 P.M.
Moonrise: 11:58 P.M.
Moonset: 2:48 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (44%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
