Set your alarm early for a celestial treat. In the predawn hours of July 20, the waning crescent moon will rise alongside the shimmering Pleiades star cluster — a skywatching spectacle steeped in history and myth.
Known to stargazers around the world for millennia, Pleiades has many names. In Japan, it’s called Subaru, the inspiration for the automaker’s logo. In ancient Greece, it represented the Seven Sisters, daughters of the Titan Atlas.
Moonrise begins around 1:30 a.m., offering a few quiet hours to witness the moon and cluster dance across the eastern sky. Watch closely: As the moon drifts by, you’ll see individual stars in the cluster briefly disappear and reappear along its edge, a phenomenon called an occultation. By about 4:15 a.m., the show will begin to fade with the approaching sunrise.
Although Pleiades is usually visible to the naked eye, this close encounter — paired with the moon’s glow and low horizon — is best viewed with binoculars.
Each month, Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory astronomer Eric McLaughlin spotlights a notable celestial event. For information about the observatory and their monthly events, visit ranchomiragelibrary.org/observatory.
