Step outside just after sunset on Saturday 19 April and look west. You’ll be treated to one of the more quietly spectacular sights the spring sky has to offer, no telescope required.
The crescent moon, a brilliantly bright Venus, and the Pleiades star cluster are converging in a tight celestial triangle low on the horizon. It’s the kind of alignment that stops you in your tracks, even if you’ve never once thought of yourself as an amateur astronomer.
Venus is currently shining at around magnitude minus 4.4, which makes it the third-brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon. On a clear evening it’s visible even before full darkness falls, a sharp, steady point of light that doesn’t twinkle the way stars do.
The Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters as they’re traditionally known in the UK, sit just a degree or two from Venus this weekend. That’s roughly the width of two fingers held at arm’s length. The cluster contains hundreds of stars, though most of us can only make out six or seven with the naked eye under decent conditions.
“Conjunctions like this are a wonderful reminder that the sky is always in motion,” said Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy. “You don’t need any equipment. Just find a spot with a clear view to the west and give your eyes about ten minutes to adjust.”
Timing matters here. The trio will be at their best from around 9pm BST, roughly an hour after sunset. The moon and Venus will set by about 11pm, so you’ve got a reasonable window, provided the clouds cooperate, which in mid-April Britain is never entirely guaranteed.
If you miss Saturday, don’t panic entirely. Venus remains prominent in the western sky throughout April and into May. But the precise triangular grouping with the crescent moon and the Pleiades won’t repeat for some time.
It’s a good excuse to drag the kids away from their screens for twenty minutes, or simply to stand in the garden with a cup of tea and remember just how much is going on above our heads every single night.
What else might be worth looking for once you’re already outside and gazing upwards?
