Moon Crashes Pleiades Party The Pleiades sisters enjoyed a quiet picnic when the Moon intruded. Despite its brilliance, the clear air made the Moon appear chiseled, with Sinus Iridum prominent on the terminator. The Pleiades shone like luminous diamonds, unfazed by the Moon's glare. Occultations began as the Moon and Pleiades rose above the hill and neighbor's roofline. Electra's occultation had passed, while Asterion, Maia, and Taygeta watched from afar. The timelapse captures Alcyone's eclipse by the Moon's bright edge. An hour later, its reappearance startled me, crystalline at the Moon's dark edge. Atlas narrowly escaped occultation. Pleione's turn came last. As the sky brightened, stars vanished until only the Moon and Venus remained. I left them to watch the sunrise and went to bed. Astro data (MDT): Occultation times in timelapse (nearest 4 minutes): - Electra: --/3:22am - Merope: --/3:46am - Alcyone: 3:18am/4:18am - Atlas: glare hid near miss - Pleione: 3:58am/4:46am Waning crescent Moon, 25 days old, 25% illumination. Bob Beal, July 20, 2025, St. George, Utah