What’s Up in the Sky – April 2024
April’s Evening Planets:
Bright Jupiter will be between Aries the Ram and Taurus the Bull until around 10 PM and setting earlier every night. Mercury will be up until around 8 PM in Pisces the Fish in the first week of April. Uranus is in Cetus the Sea monster until 11 PM and earlier every night until 9 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 6 AM and rising earlier every morning until 4 AM by the end of the month. Bright Venus will be in Pisces the Fish as of 6 AM. You can find red Mars moving between Aquarius the Waster-bearer and Pisces the Fish as of 6 AM. Mercury will be in Pisces the Fish as of 5:30 AM in the second half of April. Neptune is in Pisces the Fish as of 7 AM. Dwarf Pluto is between Sagittarius the Archer and Capricornus the Sea-goat at 4 AM and lingering until the 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 1 Last quarter Moon at 11:15 PM
April 5 Moon is 2° South of Mars (Midnight)
April 6 Moon is 1° South of Saturn (pre-dawn)
April 7 Moon at perigee (223,000 miles away)
April 8 New Moon at 2:20 PM
April 8 Total American eclipse, partially viewed from NY, Max at 3:25 PM
April 10 Mars is 1/2 ° North of Saturn (110 PM)
April 15 First Quarter Moon at 3:15 PM
April 19 Moon at apogee (252,000 miles away)
April 22 Lyrid meteor shower peaks- predawn
April 23 Full Moon, at 7:50 PM
April 26 Mercury, Mars, Saturn line up (sunrise)
