On Wednesday night, the November full moon will reach its closest point to Earth, and the following day it will appear in close proximity to the Pleiades star cluster — the Svábhegy Observatory told MTI.
According to their statement, this will be the closest and therefore the largest full moon of 2025. On the next day, November 6, the waning moon will form a tight conjunction with the Pleiades cluster. During twilight, two stars will even appear to emerge from behind the moon’s edge, observable through a telescope. Throughout the evening, the conjunction will also be easily visible with binoculars. The Svábhegy Observatory is organizing a special program for the occasion, where visitors can admire not only the Moon’s encounter with the Pleiades but also its craters in detail.
The observatory reported that on Wednesday the Moon will be 357,218 kilometers from Earth — very close to the minimum Earth–Moon distance of 356,400 kilometers. At that point, the Moon’s apparent diameter will be about 14% larger and its brightness roughly 30% higher than when a full moon occurs at its farthest distance from Earth.
Even a simple pair of binoculars will reveal the basalt-lava outlines of the lunar seas and the bright, radiating rays surrounding the largest craters.
On the following evening, Thursday, shortly after sunset, the nearly full moon and the Pleiades (M45) cluster will appear close together in the lower northeastern sky. The conjunction will be so tight that at moonrise, the Moon will even obscure some of the cluster’s stars. Further east of Hungary, observers will be able to see the Moon pass directly in front of the star cluster, the statement added.
The Svábhegy Observatory will hold a public viewing event that night, allowing visitors to observe the most striking moments of the conjunction through telescopes. Astronomers will assist participants in exploring the Moon and the Pleiades in detail and will also showcase the most beautiful craters of the waning Moon.
More information about the event can be found on the observatory’s website.
(MTI)
