Moon and Pleiades: reading the forecasts for 27–28 October
· BehindLines newsroom
Astronomical calendars place the Moon close to the Pleiades during the night of 27–28 October 2026. NASA describes an apparent passage near the star cluster, while the York Astronomical Society also forecasts that the Moon will hide some of its stars. The forecast window given for Britain has now passed. The guides help explain the difference between a close approach and an occultation; they do not provide an observation report.
Neighbours in the sky
The Pleiades, also called the Seven Sisters, look like a small grouping of stars. NASA's guide directed observers towards the eastern sky in the evening, as the cluster and the Moon rise. The cluster can be seen without optical equipment; binoculars or a telescope make more detail visible.
This predicted closeness concerns their apparent positions in the sky. It does not mean that the Moon physically reaches the stars. The chart accompanying the guide explains where to look; it is not a photograph taken during the event.
Check the occultation for your location
York's astronomical society forecast that the Moon will cover stars in the northern part of the cluster during the night of 27–28 October. An occultation occurs when a star passes behind the lunar disc as seen by an observer. The society also warns that the Moon's brightness makes the fainter stars harder to pick out.
Its guidance for Britain is not a timetable for the entire world. Local astronomical predictions are needed to establish which stars, if any, will disappear from a particular location, and when. The general close approach described by NASA therefore does not promise everyone the same occultation.
Keep track of the date as well
McDonald Observatory's entry for 28 October predicts a close approach between the Moon and Elnath that evening. This is a separate guidepost in its American setting. It illustrates why dates matter: guidance for one night should not simply be moved to the next.
The pages consulted contain forecasts, without an observation report or weather record. The British 27–28 October window should therefore no longer be presented as an upcoming event. Elnath remains a separate prediction, rather than a new date for the Pleiades encounter.