• Moon in waning gibbous aligns with Antares Monday evening across Arab skies
• A Prime opportunity for stargazing and astrophotography despite moonlight dimming fainter stars

The Arab world will witness a striking astronomical event Monday evening, as the waning gibbous Moon appears visually close to the bright star Antares, continuing until the early hours of Tuesday.

According to the Jeddah Astronomical Society, the Moon is currently past full phase and approaching its last quarter, with about 79% of its surface illuminated, which may slightly obscure fainter stars due to its brightness.

Antares, the brightest star in the Scorpius constellation, is a red supergiant of spectral type M1.5 located roughly 550 light-years from Earth, with a diameter approximately 700 times that of the Sun. It is an aging star expected to explode as a supernova in millions of years—a spectacular cosmic event that poses no threat to Earth.

Stargazers are advised to use binoculars or a small telescope to observe the clear contrast between the Moon’s glow and Antares’ reddish hue. Astrophotographers are encouraged to use a digital camera with a long lens (200mm or more) to capture both in a single frame, adjusting exposure times to manage moonlight, or combining two exposures—one for the Moon and one for the star.

Astronomers emphasize that this alignment is purely an optical effect from Earth’s perspective: the Moon is only about 384,000 kilometers away, while Antares is hundreds of light-years distant. Nonetheless, the event offers an excellent chance to track the Moon’s movement and refine observing and photography skills.

This phenomenon is part of a monthly series of lunar conjunctions with bright stars along the ecliptic, providing regular opportunities to follow celestial events.