What star clusters are visible tonight?
The Hyades cluster is visible in the eastern sky following sunset on December 3, 2024. It is visible to the right of bright Jupiter. It rises around an hour after sunset and is visible for the rest of the night. It appears as a V-shaped pattern of stars and is easily visible to the naked eye under dark skies. It is the brightest star cluster in the night sky. It is located in the zodiac constellation Taurus, the Bull. Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus, which marks one end of the Hyades’ V-shape, though it is not a part of the cluster.
The Pleiades cluster is visible in the eastern sky following sunset on December 3, 2024. It is visible about 10° above the Hyades star cluster. It is visible almost all night and sets around an hour before sunrise. It appears as a tiny misty dipper of stars and is easily visible to the naked eye under dark skies. It is probably the most famous star cluster in the night sky. It is located in the zodiac constellation Taurus, the Bull.
The Beehive cluster is visible high in the southwestern sky preceding sunrise on December 3, 2024. It is visible very close to reddish Mars (left). It rises around 3 hours before midnight and is visible for the rest of the night. It appears as a tiny fuzzy object to the naked eye under dark skies. You need a pair of binoculars to see the individual stars in the cluster. It is located in the zodiac constellation Cancer, the Crab.
Hyades cluster in December 2024
The Hyades star cluster will be visible from early evening through dawn in December.
The Hyades star cluster rises and sets around four minutes earlier each day. At the beginning of December, it will rise around an hour after sunset, and by the end of December, it will rise around an hour before sunset.
The Hyades star cluster and Jupiter will be visible very close to the waxing gibbous moon on the evening of December 14, 2024.
Pleiades cluster in December 2024
The Pleiades star cluster will be visible from early evening through pre-dawn in December.
The Pleiades star cluster rises and sets around four minutes earlier each day. At the beginning of December, it will rise around sunset, and by the end of December, it will rise around a couple of hours before sunset.
The Pleiades star cluster will be visible very close to the waxing gibbous moon on the evening of December 13, 2024.
Beehive cluster in December 2024
The Beehive star cluster will be visible from mid-evening through dawn in December.
The Beehive star cluster rises and sets around four minutes earlier each day. At the beginning of December, it will rise about 4 hours after sunset, and by the end of December, it will rise about a couple of hours after sunset.
The Beehive star cluster and Mars will be visible very close to the waning gibbous moon on the morning of December 18, 2024.
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