A “planet parade” is happening in the pre-dawn sky at the moment, with this weekend the perfect time to take a look as the moon shrinks to a crescent as it moves past some of the most spectacular sights in the night sky — the Pleiades star cluster and the bright stars of the constellations Taurus and Orion.
The best time to look for the planet parade will be 45 minutes before the time of sunrise at your location, though it will be visible about two hours prior.
Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus are currently in the planet parade, but this weekend the waning gibbous moon joins the fray.
Venus will be visible in the east and Jupiter in the southeast, with Saturn in the southwest.
Over the weekend, the moon will pass close to the Pleiades open cluster of stars, also called M45, as it passes through the bright stars of the constellations Taurus and Orion.
This is the final notable planet parade until October 2028, when five planets will be visible together, once again before sunrise.
Look southwest before sunrise on Friday, Sept. 12, for a 73%-lit moon shining alongside the Pleiades, one of the most beautiful naked-eye star clusters in the night sky. The following morning, on Saturday, Sept. 13, a 62%-lit moon will be on the other side of the Pleiades. On Sunday, Sept. 14, the moon will reach its last quarter phase, when 50% of its Earth-facing side is lit.
The Pleiades (pronounced ‘player-deeze’) is the most obvious star cluster to the naked eye in the night sky aside from the Big Dipper. It's also more impressive. In contrast to the Big Dipper, the Pleiades (also called M45 and the "Seven Sisters") is impossible to forget once you’ve identified it. A cluster of hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus, you’ll notice the brightness of the Pleiades in the corner of your eye. That's because your peripheral vision is much more atuned to brightness than your direct vision.