Crescent Moon Meets M44 on May 21 as 3 Planets Line Up Low in the West

3 articles · Updated · Space.com · May 20

May 21’s evening sky will place a 36%-lit crescent moon less than 5 degrees upper left of the Beehive Cluster, or Messier 44, shortly after sunset.
Jupiter will shine about 20 degrees lower right of the moon, while Venus and Mercury extend the lineup farther west, with Mercury sitting less than 5 degrees above the horizon and hardest to spot.
10x50 binoculars should frame both the moon and M44 together and bring out the cluster’s brighter stars despite lunar glare.
A small telescope can also highlight lunar features near the terminator, including Theophilus and Piccolomini, whose central peaks and shadowed terraced walls should stand out.
As the night progresses, the moon will drift away from M44 before setting in the early hours of May 22.

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