July 10-12, 2026: Watch the waning crescent moon pass Mars and Aldebaran before sunrise. The July 11 alignment of the moon, Mars, and Taurus’ brightest star does not occur again until 2034.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Mars, Moon, Taurus Before Sunrise
As the moon nears the New moon phase, look for a line of Mars, Moon, and Aldebaran – Taurus’ brightest star – that does not occur again until 2034.
The morning crescent moon passes bright features in Taurus in the eastern sky before sunrise as it lines up with Mars on the 11th. Taurus is emerging from bright morning twilight after its solar conjunction. It rises backward with its head, marked by yellow-orange Aldebaran – the ninth brightest star visible from the mid-northern latitudes – and the check-mark shape of the Hyades star cluster, tilted toward the horizon. The Pleiades star cluster, resembling a miniature dipper, rides on the Bull’s back.
Earthshine
As the moon nears the end of this lunation, sunlight reflects from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land – approaching the Full Earth phase as seen from the moon – that gently lights the lunar night. Known as earthshine, this effect can be captured with a tripod-mounted camera or a steady smartphone camera with exposures up to a few seconds. The effect is especially striking when a star cluster, like the Pleiades, or a planet is in the frame. Each morning poses a different scene.
Moon, Mars, Taurus
• July 10: The crescent moon, 22% illuminated, is over 30° above the eastern horizon and 8.3° to the upper right of the Pleiades. Mars, nearly 20° above the east-northeast horizon, is 5.6° to the upper left of Aldebaran.
• July 11: The waning crescent moon, 13% illuminated, is nearly 25° above the east-northeast horizon. The moon, Mars, and Aldebaran are nearly in a line spanning 10.7°. The lunar orb is 4.9° to Mars’ upper left. The Red Planet is 5.4° to Aldebaran’s upper left.
• July 12: The thin crescent moon, 6% illuminated, is over 10° above the east-northeast horizon and 1.4° to the lower right of Elnath, also known as Beta Tauri. The moon is nearly 15° to the lower left of Mars. Mars is 5.3° to Aldebaran’s upper left.
Next Visible Grouping
A visible grouping of Mars, Moon, and Aldebaran does not occur again until April 20, 2034. Similar groupings occur during bright twilight nearly every two years until 2034. An hour after sunset on that evening, the three celestial wonders fit into a circle 8.5° in diameter. Brilliant Venus is nearby.
Look for the last visible grouping of Mars, Moon, and Aldebaran before sunrise as the moon completes this lunation.
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