• Put your coffee pot on a timer and set your alarm for a couple of hours before sunrise tomorrow, because you're going to want to get up early to see the waning crescent moon, the Pleiades cluster, plus the planets Jupiter and Venus. In the dark eastern skies before dawn tomorrow, North Americans will see the waning crescent moon right by the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. In Europe, Africa and Asia, you won't see the moon quite as close to the Pleiades, but you'll still see the moon near the Pleiades, and the morning planets lining up with the

Pleiades cluster.
• All over the world, the Pleiades cluster, Jupiter and Venus make a rather compact line across the eastern predawn sky. You should have absolutely no problem seeing Jupiter and Venus, the brightest star-like objects in the morning sky, but you may have some difficulty spotting the Pleiades cluster. If you have binoculars, use them. They'll bring the Pleiades into view if you can't see them otherwise, or will enhance your view of the Pleiades' gossamer beauty. As for the dazzling planets Jupiter and Venus, we'll tell you more about these brilliant beauties on our July 14 program.
• If you aren't familiar with the Pleiades, it will appear as a tiny starlit dipper. Most people see six or seven stars with the unaided eye, under good conditions. Depending on your eyesight and the local conditions, you may not even be able to see any stars in the Pleiades. Sometimes it just looks like a small glowing patch or cloud. Telescopically, there are hundreds of stars visible in the Pleiades cluster. In contrast

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