“Celestial Dance: Witness the Moon, Pleiades, Jupiter, and Orion Align on January 9-10, 2025!”

This evening, on 9 January 2025, if you gaze up at the Moon, you will witness it interacting with a stunning blue star cluster known as the Pleiades.

The nearly-full Moon is situated in the night sky near the Pleiades tonight.

As midnight nears, these two celestial bodies will draw closer in the nightly sky, continuing into the early hours of dawn tomorrow.

Near the Moon and the Pleiades, you can also find Jupiter and the well-known winter constellation Orion, which includes the prominent red supergiant star Betelgeuse.

The past week has been fantastic for initiating stargazing activities in 2025, particularly on 3 January when Venus and the crescent Moon captivated observers.

On 10 January 2025, Venus and Saturn will start their own close encounter, moving ever closer in the night sky until 18 January when they will be separated by merely 2.2°.

Mars is also improving in visibility, and on 13 January, it will align with the full Wolf Moon, finally grazing the northern section of the Moon in the early hours of 14 January.

However, tonight’s highlight for stargazers will be the Moon alongside the Pleiades.

Observing the Moon and Pleiades

The Pleiades, often referred to as M45, is a stunning blue star cluster visible to the unaided eye.

To the naked eye, it may appear as a faint ‘smudge’ in the night sky, but even a basic pair of binoculars will provide a delightful view of its stars.

You can see the Moon and the Pleiades side by side in the night sky on 9 January if you look south around 20:30 UTC.

At that moment, the Moon will be 81% illuminated, indicating its approach toward full Moon.

As the evening progresses, the Pleiades and the Moon will draw closer, with the Moon eventually passing over some of the cluster’s brighter stars in the early hours of 10 January.

Orion and Jupiter

Positioned below the Moon and the Pleiades is the constellation Orion, the hunter – a well-known winter sight.

It’s distinguished by its three belt stars, which serve as excellent targets for observation with binoculars or a telescope.

You might even be able to spot the Orion Nebula located beneath the belt stars.

This nebula is a distant gaseous and dusty cloud, a birthplace for stars.

Between Orion and the Moon, a bright ‘star’ can be seen, which is actually the planet Jupiter.

Jupiter reached its opposition in December 2024, making this a great opportunity to observe the planet.

When observed through a telescope, Jupiter reveals its banded atmosphere and even its four prominent Galilean moons.

Look south around 20:30 on 10 January, and you’ll be treated to another marvelous sight: the nearly-full Moon positioned next to the Pleiades cluster and Jupiter.

Also observable nearby will be the V-shaped Hyades star cluster (shaped like a ‘V’ on its side) and once more, the enchanting winter constellation Orion.

Next week, Mars will interact with the full Moon, but if you’re eager for something to observe this weekend, venture out and take a moment to appreciate these remarkable winter features in the night sky.

If you’ve been stargazing tonight, we invite you to share your experiences and any photographs with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com