Bright Moon Points to Uranus

On Thursday night, December 12, the bright, nearly full moon will shine near the planet Uranus. Use binoculars (orange circle) to look for the medium-bright star Botein (Delta Arietis) shining below the moon. If you place Botein just at the upper edge of the binoculars’ field of view, Uranus will appear as a dull, blue-green “star” near the bottom of the field of view. Uranus is far easier to see without a bright moon nearby, so take note of Botein’s location with respect to the nearby bright Pleiades star cluster and return to Uranus on another night. In a dark sky, you can see the magnitude 5.7 planet without optical aid. A backyard telescope will reveal its tiny disk.