Crescent moon by star clusters, April 4 and 5 evenings -

On April 4 and 5, the crescent moon visits the famous star clusters of Taurus the Bull. Look west after sunset. Illustration via John Jardine Goss.

A beautiful waxing crescent moon passes through the stars of Taurus the Bull on April 4 and 5, 2022. It splits the Hyades and Pleiades star clusters. The Pleiades star cluster has a tiny dipper shape, while the Hyades forms a large V and is famous for its reddish star Aldebaran.

On April 4, the crescent moon is still fairly slender, just 14% lit. It’s coming out of new phase, which was on April 1 at 1:24 am CST. The Pleiades is to the moon’s upper right, while the Hyades and red Aldebaran is to the upper left. On April 5, the moon is a thicker crescent and has climbed higher above the pair from the perspective of North America and the Western Hemisphere. For those in parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, say, Singapore or Sydney, Australia, you’ll see the moon pass precisely between the two clusters in darkness on April 5.

Bottom line: You can spot the crescent moon in Taurus between the Pleiades star cluster and the Hyades star cluster, home to the red star Aldebaran.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

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About the Author:

Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a science writer specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and she has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult dystopian novel titled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and staring up at the stars, she enjoys traveling to the national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and paddleboarding. Kelly lives with her family in Wisconsin.

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