|   | 
Credit: Pete Lawrence  
(Digital-Astronomy)  
  
  
Explanation:
Last Sunday's fading evening twilight featured a young crescent Moon  
along the western horizon.  
  
The young Moon also shared the sky with the lovely  
Pleiades star cluster and  
wandering planet Mercury.  
  
Framed by clouds in this  
serene  
skyscape from Selsey, UK,  
a similar twilight scene was visible around the globe.  
  
Emerging from the cloud bank below the Pleiades, the  
narrow sunlit lunar crescent  
is overexposed.  
  
Still, the Moon's dim night side is impressively clear, illuminated by  
earthshine.  
  
Bright, innermost  
planet Mercury lies near the  
bottom of the field.  
  
Mercury will remain near the Pleiades,  
low in the west  
after sunset over the coming days, an  
ongoing conjunction of planet and star cluster that will offer  
skygazers some excellent binocular views.  
  
   
  
  
  
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Moon - Mercury - pleiades
Publications with words: Moon - Mercury - pleiades
See also:
