What’s Up in the Sky
April’s Evening Planets:
Bright Venus will be in Taurus the Bull until 10 PM and setting earlier later every night. Mercury will be up until around 9PM in the first half of April, moving between Pisces the Fish and Taurus the Bull. You can find red Mars in Gemini the Twins all night. Uranus is in Cetus the Sea monster until 10 PM and earlier every night until 8 PM by the end of the month.
April’s Evening Stars:
The Winter Triangle will be up until around 11 PM, and setting earlier every night: Sirius, the brightest star viewed from Earth is in Canis Major the Great Dog, Betelgeuse is in Orion the Hunter, and Procyon is in Canis Minor the Small Dog. Spot Capella in Auriga the Charioteer, Arcturus in Bootes the Herdsman, Regulus in Leo the Lion, Spica in Virgo the Virgin, and bright Castor and Pollux in Gemini the Twins. Also find the stars of constellations Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Hercules, Cancer, Perseus, Draco, Virgo, Leo, Hydra, and Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Big and Little Dippers).
April’s Morning Planets:
Saturn will be in Aquarius the Water bearer as of 5 AM and rising earlier every morning until 3 AM by the end of the month. Neptune is in Pisces the Fish as of 6 AM. Dwarf Pluto is in between Sagittarius the Archer and Capricornus the Sea-goat of 4 AM and lingering until morning.
April ’s Morning Stars:
The Summer Triangle of Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in Aquila the Eagle will be up until sunrise. Look for reddish Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion, Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman, and Spica in Virgo the Maiden, along with the stars of constellations Leo, Hercules, Serpens, Libra, Cassiopeia, Ophiuchus, Cepheus, Pegasus, Andromeda, Draco, and Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Big and Little Dippers).
April Skylights
April 6 Full Moon, at 12:35 AM
April 13 Last quarter Moon at 5:10 AM
April 15 Moon at perigee (228,600 miles away)
April 15 Saturn is 5° North of the Moon (Midnight)
April 20 New Moon at 12:10 AM
April 21 Mercury, Moon, Venus, Mars line up (sunset)
April 22 Lyrid meteor shower peaks- predawn
April 25 Moon 3° North of Mars (10 PM)
April 27 First Quarter Moon at 5:20 PM
April 28 Moon at apogee (251,200 miles away)
Times given in EDT.
