West Coast viewers can watch the Moon occult Aldebaran on February 15/16, but everyone can see our satellite posing with the Hyades Cluster.
Astronomy: Roen Kelly
The waxing gibbous Moon marches eastward relative to the background stars of Taurus this evening, passing through the conspicuous Hyades star cluster.
Although everyone in North America will have wonderful views of our satellite’s journey, those in the western United States are in for a special treat.
Shortly after 1 a.m. local time tomorrow morning, the Moon occults Aldebaran, Taurus’ 1st-magnitude luminary. Along a line that cuts across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, Luna’s northern limb grazes Aldebaran.
Through a telescope, you can watch the star disappear behind mountains and reappear in valleys several times. The Moon completely hides Aldebaran from south of this line while the two just miss each other from farther north.
