The bright planet Jupiter will shine off to the moon’s upper right. Skywatchers viewing the scene later, or in more westerly time zones, will see the moon tucked in closer below the cluster.
Instead, hide the moon beyond the lower right edge of your binoculars' field of view. The cluster, which covers a patch of sky several times larger than the moon, will be a challenge to see against the bright moon's glare.
In the eastern sky on Monday evening, October 2, use your binoculars to view the scattered stars of the Pleiades cluster (also known as Messier 45) twinkling just a few finger widths to the left (or 2 degrees to the celestial north) of the bright, waning gibbous moon. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
