A rare rendezvous of the moon and stars

On the evening of March 27, a special astronomical phenomenon will unfold in the southern sky. The full moon, shining at 77% brightness, passes right by the Beehive Cluster (M44) located in the center of Cancer.

The Moon begins this night about 2 degrees above the stars of the Beehive Cluster and moves across the upper part of the cluster from right to left as the night progresses. The closest time is around 12:54 PM on March 28th, Korean time.

Why is this meeting special?

The Honeycomb Cluster is an open cluster of about 1,000 stars bound together by gravity. On a clear, dark night, it appears as a faintly glowing milky blob to the naked eye. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), this cluster was formed about 600 to 700 million years ago, making it a relatively 'young' object in our galaxy, which has a history of 4.6 billion years.

However, this time, the moonlight is bright, so visual observation may be difficult. This is because the cluster is located near Acelus Borealis and Acelus Australis, the central stars of the constellation Cancer, so moonlight interference is inevitable.

Observation Tips: What to Prepare

Binocular observation: With just binoculars, you can see about 20 of the brightest stars in the cluster.

6-inch telescope: More stars come into view and you can enjoy the true beauty of star clusters.

Lunar surface observation: If you have a telescope, it is a good idea to look at the moon. This is a suitable time to observe the Copernicus Crater and Tycho Crater, along with the dark sea (Mare) terrain formed by solidified ancient lava. Copernicus appears near the lunar terminator, while Tycho appears in the south as a massive impact basin measuring 85 km in diameter.

If the night sky is clear in spring, it will be a good opportunity to feel the temporal scale of the universe through the meeting of the moon and young star clusters.