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.
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