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Details:
The Pleiad sisters were having a quiet picnic party this morning when the Moon stumbled through. But despite the Moon trying to blind them with its brilliance, the air was so clear and steady that in binoculars it looked chiseled by some unknown sculptor into the sky (the semicircle of Sinus Iridum was quite prominent on the terminator), while the Pleiads shone forth like exquisite luminous diamonds unfazed by the Moon's glaring presence.
The occultations were already underway when the Moon and Pleiads appeared from behind the hill behind me and the roofline of the neighbor next door. Electra's time in the dark had already passed, while Asterion, Maia, and Taygeta watched the happenings from afar.
The timelapse begins as Alcyone is about to be eclipsed by the Moon's bright edge. I was too busy setting up to notice it myself, but the camera caught it. Exactly an hour later, even though by then I was cozy comfortable in a chaise longue and poised with binoculars aimed expectantly at the spot, its reappearance still startled me with its instantaneous crystalline substantiation at the Moon's dark edge. I thought the Moon might clip Atlas too, but it was a near miss. Pleione's turn in the dark came last.
By the time the Moon had passed by all seven sisters the sky was beginning to brighten. I enjoyed watching the stars disappear one by one until only the Moon and Venus remained. I left them alone to watch the sunrise while I went to bed.
Astro data (all times MDT):
Times of (dis-/re-)appearances in the timelapse (to the nearest 4 minutes):
... Electra: --/3:22am
... Merope: --/3:46am
... Alcyone: 3:18am/4:18am
... Atlas: the Moon's glare hid a near miss
... Pleione: 3:58am/4:46am
Waning crescent Moon at 25 days old and 25% illumination.
Photo data:
Panasonic GX8, Lumix 100-300mm lens @ 136mm, Sky-Watcher GTi
... 34 frames x (f/4.4, 10 sec, ISO 800), one frame every 4 minutes
... software: SSuite GIF Animator, Paint Shop Pro 2023 Ultimate (PSP)
... date: July 20, 2025 3:08am-5:18am MDT
Photographer's website:
No URL provided.
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