Moon Moves Through the Scorpion’s Claws (overnight)

When the bright, waning gibbous moon clears the trees to the southeast in late evening on Tuesday, April 15, it will be shining close to the line of medium-bright stars that form the claws of Scorpius, the Scorpion. From upper left to lower right, their names are Graffias (or Beta Scorpii), Dschubba (or Delta Scorpii), Pi Scorpii, and Rho Scorpii. Skywatchers viewing later that night, or in more westerly time zones, can see the moon approach (green line) and then cross in front of Pi Scorpii around 5 a.m. EDT or 09:00 GMT. Lunar occultations are safe to watch with eyes, binoculars, and telescopes. Use an app like Starry Night or Sky Safari to look up the timings where you live.