October 26, 27, and 28, 2021: During the early morning hours, the bright gibbous moon appears in front of Gemini’s stars.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
The bright gibbous moon appears high in the southwestern sky before sunrise. It is farther eastward each morning compared to the stars of Gemini.
Step outside about an hour before sunrise, before morning twilight covers the dimmer stars.
The constellation Gemini looks like two stick figures of people. Castor and Pollux are the heads. They seem to have their arms around each other’s shoulders. Castor has a long torso and short legs. Pollux has long legs, seemingly bowed.
Here’s what to look for:
October 26: The moon is near the feet of the Gemini Twin Castor, Propus and Tejat Posterior. It is 3.4° to the right of Mebsuta,”the outstretched paw of the lion.”
October 27: The moon is 63% illuminated and over 73% up in the southwest. The lunar orb is 5.5° to the lower right of Pollux.
October 28: This morning the moon is in front of the dim stars of Cancer. The lunar orb is 54% illuminated. It is 8.0° to the lower left of Pollux.
A binocular can be used to identify the dimmer stars of the constellation. Another way to see them is to hold up your hand, as you would to block out the sun’s glare.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2023, October 24: Venus, Jupiter, Bookend Bright Orion
October 24, 2023: Morning planets Venus and Jupiter bookend many bright stars, including Orion. The moon is near Saturn during the evening. - 2023, October 23: Venus at Greatest Elongation
October 23, 2023: Venus moves to its farthest angular distance from the sun today, known as greatest elongation. During morning twilight, the Morning Star passes Leo’s Chertan. - 2023, October 22: Moon Approaches Saturn
October 22, 2023: During evening hours, the gibbous moon nears Saturn in the southern sky. Venus and Jupiter are visible during morning twilight. - 2023, October 21: Three Bright Planets, First Quarter Moon
October 21, 2023: Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are easy to locate during nighttime hours. The First Quarter moon phase occurs this evening. - 2023, October 20: Jupiter’s Double Shadows, Mercury at Superior Conjunction
October 20: After midnight, Jupiter’s moons’ shadows dance across the cloud tops. Mercury is at superior conjunction.
