Starwatch: the moon puts on a show in the hours before dawn

A plane is silhouetted against the waning moon over London, UK. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

This week, the waning moon cuts a swath through the body of Taurus in the pre-dawn hours.

The show begins on 23 August with the moon at last quarter, when the western hemisphere of our natural satellite is illuminated. On this night, the moon will be between the bull’s horns, approaching the head of Taurus.

The chart shows the view a night later at 0300 BST. On this night, the moon will be a slight waning crescent and right next to the stars of the V-shaped Hyades star cluster.

constellation graphic

The red star Aldebaran is not part of the star cluster but appears close to it in the sky. In reality, Aldebaran is more than twice as close to us as the Hyades, which lies about 150 light years away.

Also at this time of year, a good eastern horizon will show the mighty constellation of Orion, the hunter, rising. This is your warning that summer is fast departing.