What star is near the Moon?
People regularly write or call me to clarify “what kind of star is next to the Moon today.” And, in fact, such questions make me happy, because people still have curiosity.
The Moon manages to move across the celestial sphere relative to the stars by about 13 degrees per day (26 of its own disks). Planets also move around the celestial sphere, describing loops, approaching other planets and stars. The phenomenon in which several celestial bodies are nearby in the sky is called CONJUNCTION. For example, the conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter, the Moon and Antares, Jupiter and Venus. The limiting case of a conjunction is COVERAGE (eclipse), when one celestial body covers another. Periodically, the Moon covers the stars, planets and the Sun with its disk. Of course, this does not mean that the objects are physically close to each other or colliding.
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