On the night of 27 January, the moon will pass in front of the Pleiades star cluster, temporarily hiding some of its brightest members from view in a rare occultation event.
The Pleiades, also known as the seven sisters, are located about 440 light years away in the constellation Taurus. These stars, born from the same molecular gas cloud about 100 million years ago, are among the most recognisable features of the winter sky.
Observers in the UK should look south-southeast from London at 9pm on 27 January, about 10 minutes before the first star, Taygeta, disappears. The dark side of the moon will make the stars 'wink out' clearly, reappearing about an hour later from the opposite lunar hemisphere.
Local timings may vary by up to 15 minutes across the UK, so viewers are advised to check online for precise times in their location.
