Is the Pleiades star cluster visible tonight?
Tonight, October 11, 2026, the Pleiades star cluster is visible high in the western sky before dawn. Look for it about an hour before sunrise.
Pleiades star cluster in October 2026
Throughout October, the Pleiades star cluster will appear high in the western sky before sunrise. Each day, it will sink lower in the western sky. It will appear near the waning gibbous moon on the morning of October 28, 2026.
At the beginning of October, the Pleiades star cluster will rise about two hours after sunset, and by the end of October, it will rise about an hour after sunset.
How to find the Pleiades star cluster
You can find the famous Pleiades star cluster by using Orion’s Belt and the bright reddish-orange star Aldebaran. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Look for Orion’s Belt—the three equally bright stars evenly spaced in a row—in the southern sky before dawn.
- Draw an imaginary line through the belt stars and extend it upward in the southern sky. You will reach the V-shaped pattern of stars with a bright star at one end. The V-shaped pattern of stars represents the face of Taurus the Bull, and the bright star in the V—called Aldebaran—represents the Bull’s fiery red eye.
- Keep going along the same path past Aldebaran, and you will find the Pleiades star cluster, which looks like a miniature dipper.
Best time to see the Pleiades star cluster
The Pleiades star cluster is best visible in November and December, when it rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, making it visible throughout the night.
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