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المملكة: A wonderful, rare astronomical spectacle awaits tonight.. Top tips for better viewing


called headEngineer Majid Abu Zahra is preparing amateur astronomers to prepare binoculars in preparation for observing a rare and beautiful astronomical spectacle witnessed in the skies of the Arab world on Thursday evening, October 9, 2025, until dawn the next day, represented by the passage of near the Pleiades star cluster in a scene decorating the autumn sky.

Abu Zahira said that the moon will be high in the sky after the darkness of the night, while a cluster will appear – also known as the Seven Sisters – is right next to it, to together present a breathtaking celestial scene that can be seen with the naked eye from locations far from city lights.

Light Pollution

The president of the association explained that light pollution within cities will make seeing the cluster relatively difficult, noting that the best viewing will be from the dark rural or desert areas where it appears. The stars of the Pleiades are clearly next to the moon.

He said: “We recommend using binoculars or small telescopes to enjoy the scene and document it with astronomical photography, as the moon and the Pleiades cluster will appear together in the same field of view.”

Abu Zahra explained that the Pleiades cluster is one of the most famous open star clusters in the winter sky, and contains about 500 stars were born together from a huge cloud of gas and dust only about 100 million years ago, making it a newly formed cluster compared to the age of the Sun, which is 4.6 billion years.

Starlight

He added that the cluster is about 430 to 445 light-years away from Earth, according to recent measurements from the Hubble Telescope, and seven of its brightest stars are the most famous and can be seen. Seeing them with the naked eye in the dark sky, and the Arabs said in the past that whoever distinguishes seven or more of the Pleiades stars is “sharp-sighted.”

The president of the association pointed out that seeing with the naked eye shows the moon alone, while through binoculars it is possible to see the Pleiades stars near the moon with greater clarity.

As for astronomical photography using the long exposure technique, threads of nebulae will appear. The delicate blue color that reflects starlight is the remnants of the original cloud from which this cluster was formed.

Stellar clusters

Abu Zahira explained that open star clusters such as the Pleiades are connected by gravity, but not strongly, so over millions of years some of their stars will begin to gradually diverge in space, in a phenomenon that represents a natural stage in the development of these star clusters.

The president of the association confirmed that this conjunction will give amateur astronomical photography an exceptional view, as it is possible to capture a picture of the moon and the Pleiades cluster in one shot, especially in places far from artificial lighting.

He added, warning: “The Pleiades cluster will not be as clear inside illuminated cities as it appears in professional astronomical photographs, so we advise staying away from it.” City lights and enjoying the view from a dark location under a clear sky.

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