​MARS & THE PLEIADES

Mars & The Pleiades

Mars slides underneath the Pleiades Star Cluster The Seven Sisters.
​IT IS A PERFECT VIEWING WEEK THIS WEEK.
Tonight, where I live the sky just cleared and the full moon rose strong.
In the western sky, the prominent red looking star you can see now is Mars. There is also a orange red, slightly lighter in color Star up in that section of the sky. That is Aldeberan. (Have the moon at your back and look the opposite side of the sky.)
Aldeberan and The Seven Sisters are in the constellation Taurus.
Mars is joining them for a week or two. It is the closest Mars Pleiades since 2006, and won’t come again until 2038.
Their closest approach is March 3 & 4.
All week is good viewing. Mars sets by midnight. So it is best viewed an hour past sunset and before 10 pm.
Just above Mars is the Pleiades Star Cluster. If you aren’t familiar with finding it in the night sky, Is has a fuzzy visual quality.
If you had binoculars, you would see it dazzle. Almost looks like a tiny Little Dipper.
It’s worth the trip outside on this crisp
clear night to see it. And you can bask in the glow of the Full Moon in the eastern sky.