![]() Rupes Altai is highlighted every lunar month when the waxing moon is about 5 days past new and again when the waning moon is approaching third quarter. Watch for the large crater named Piccolomini straddling the southeastern end of the cliff. Its curve runs parallel to the edge of that large, dark basin, which will appear to its upper right (lunar northeast), partly in shadow. The cliff, which climbs up to 0.6 miles or 1 km above the lunar surface, is actually part of the rim of ancient Mare Nectaris. On Tuesday night, October 3, the curved terminator on the moon will fall just to the right (or lunar east) of a large, curved escarpment on the moon known as Rupes Altai, making that feature especially easy to see with sharp eyes and through binoculars and telescopes. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night) On Tuesday night, October 3, the curved terminator on the moon will fall just to the right (or lunar east) of a large, curved escarpment on the moon known as Rupes Altai. Tuesday, October 3 - View Rupes Altai (all night) ![]() The magnitude 5.7 blue-green dot of Uranus, which is also visible in binoculars, will be positioned about midway between the moon and Jupiter. 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.
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