Jeddah, The Jeddah Astronomy Society (JAS) has announced that the last-quarter moon will align with the Pleiades star cluster in the sky over the Arab world at dawn tomorrow. The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters due to the brightness of its seven prominent stars, are a well-known star cluster.
Majed Abu Zahra, JAS Director, noted that the Pleiades would not be visible to the naked eye in urban areas due to light pollution from streetlights, which diminishes the visibility of celestial objects. However, the cluster can be easily observed using binoculars. He also mentioned that the moon and the Pleiades would appear close enough to be seen together through a telescope, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Abu Zahra highlighted that the Pleiades star cluster resembles the stars of the Little Dipper but appears hazy to the observer. Situated in the Northern Hemisphere, the Pleiades is traditionally associated with winter. According to modern measurements, the stars in this cluster were formed from t
he same cloud of gas and dust approximately 100 million years ago, while the sun is around 4.5 billion years old.
He further explained that the stars in the Pleiades are gravitationally bound, moving together through space. Many of these stars shine hundreds of times brighter than the sun.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
