Night sky this weekend: Half-moon to meet Pleiades star cluster
Early on August 16 and 17, 2025, the half-moon will swing close to the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus.
Look east before dawn—on August 16, you'll spot the moon about three finger-widths to the upper right of the cluster around 1am.
How to spot the moon and Pleiades
By August 17, the moon shifts below and left of the Pleiades—about three middle fingers apart at arm's length.
The Pleiades might just look like a faint smudge, so try averted vision or grab binoculars for a better view under moonlight.
Uranus will also be visible on August 16
With basic binoculars, you can catch seven bright Pleiades stars plus some cool lunar craters.
An eight-inch telescope shows off even more: blue-white stars, interstellar dust, and on August 16, Uranus as a tiny aqua dot near the cluster.
After this weekend show, the moon heads toward its new phase.