Monday, April 1 – Third Quarter Moon (at 03:15 GMT)
The moon will reach its third quarter phase on Monday, April 1 at 11:15 p.m. EDT or 8:15 p.m. PDT, which converts to 03:15 GMT on April 2. Third quarter moons rise around midnight in your local time zone, and then linger in the southern sky after sunrise. At third, or last, quarter the moon is illuminated on its western side, towards the pre-dawn sun. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase will be ideal for observing deep sky targets in binoculars and telescopes, especially spring galaxies.
Monday, April 1 – Comet Pons-Brooks in Evening (after dusk)
When the periodic comet 12P/Pons-Brooks passes the sun at perihelion on April 21, it should become bright enough to see with unaided eyes and definitely with binoculars. But For observers at mid-northern latitudes, the comet will be low in the western twilight after sunset and difficult to see at that time. Instead, take the opportunity to see this once-every-71-years comet in a dark, moonless sky during evening this week as it travels right to left (or celestial southeast) from Aries’ bright star Hamal toward Jupiter (red path). Use binoculars (orange circle) to sweep the sky between them and look for a faint fuzzy patch. The fainter tail will extend upwards. A telescope or a long exposure photo should show the coma’s greenish hue. The comet will set by about 9:45 p.m. local time, so start looking as soon as the sky darkens.
Tuesday, April 2 – The Whirlpool and Pinwheel Galaxies (all night)
In the evening during early April, the Big Dipper is positioned high in the northeast with its handle pointed down. Under dark sky conditions two impressive galaxies can be seen in binoculars and backyard telescopes by using the bright star Alkaid at the tip of the dipper’s handle to find them. The Pinwheel Galaxy, or Messier 101, is a spectacular, large, face-on spiral galaxy positioned a slim palm’s width to the lower left (or 5.5 degrees north) of Alkaid, forming an equilateral triangle with Mizar, the double star at the bend of the dipper’s handle. This relatively close galaxy (21 million light-years away) is nearly as large as the full moon in the sky. Since the galaxy’s light is spread over such a large area, its overall brightness is lowered. Aim your binoculars several finger widths to the upper right (or 3.7 degrees to the southwest) of Alkaid to discover the iconic Whirlpool Galaxy, aka Messier 51. This spiral galaxy’s angular size is smaller, but it will look somewhat brighter in your binoculars and telescope. A secondary galaxy core designated NGC 5195 close beside M51 is linked by a bridge of material.
Thursday, April 4 – Asteroid Pallas Changes Course (overnight)
On Thursday, April 4, the main belt asteroid designated (2) Pallas will cease its eastward motion through the stars of southern Hercules and commence a westerly retrograde loop that will last until July. Tonight, the magnitude 9.2 minor planet will rise in late evening and remain visible all night long in a backyard telescope (orange circle), positioned between Hercules’ medium-bright stars Kornephoros (Beta Herculis) and Rasalgethi (Alpha Herculis). For the rest of April Pallas will travel left and upwards (dotted path) towards another Hercules star named Zeta Herculis. Pallas will reach peak visibility on June 19.
Friday, April 5 – Old Moon Approaches Planets (before sunrise)
The old waning moon’s pretty crescent will shine above the southeastern horizon on Friday morning, April 5. Before the sky brightens too much, sharp-eyed observers with an unobstructed view can see the planets Mars and Saturn arrayed a generous fist’s diameter to the moon’s left (or celestial east-northeast). The two planets will appear about the same brightness and cosy enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Much brighter Venus will rise to their lower left around 6 a.m. local time, but faint Neptune near it won’t be visible. Observers in westerly time zones will see the moon a bit closer to the planets. Be sure to turn all optics away from the east before the sun rises.
Saturday, April 6 – Crescent Moon near Mars and Saturn (before sunrise)
The old moon’s visit with the morning planets will continue on Saturday, April 6. After 24 hours of motion, the moon will shine directly below Saturn, with Mars positioned at their upper right. Once the moon rises around 5:30 a.m. local time, all three objects will fit within binoculars’ field of view – but turn all optics away before the sun rises. Observers in most of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Islands, and Marion Island can see the moon occult Saturn around 09:30 GMT.
Sunday, April 7 – Sliver of Moon near Venus and Neptune (before sunrise)
Before sunrise on Sunday, April 7, skywatchers located along tropical latitudes can try to see the extremely thin crescent of the old moon poised two finger widths to the upper right (or celestial southwest) of the bright planet Venus. Look just above the eastern horizon as the sky is brightening. The very faint planet Neptune will be located about the same distance to the moon’s upper right. The trio will be cosy enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle), but the dawn twilight will make seeing Neptune very difficult. Hours earlier the moon will have occulted Neptune for residents of the South Atlantic Ocean region. For observers in a zone extending from the eastern South Pacific Ocean, across Central America and the eastern portions of the USA and Canada, and over to the North Atlantic Ocean, the moon will pass in front of Venus in broad daylight during mid-day. Due to the nearby sun, only observers experienced in safe solar viewing should make an attempt to see that occultation.
Monday, April 8 – New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse (midday)
The new moon of Monday, April 8, 2024 will generate another Great American Total Solar Eclipse, following the previous one on August 21, 2017. This eclipse will occur along a 112 mile (180 km) wide track running across Mexico and eastern North America, giving lucky observers with sunny skies and eclipse glasses a chance to see the spectacle in the afternoon. Parts of San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Fort Worth, and all of Dallas will experience totality – the latter for 3m53s. From there the eclipse will cross parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio – giving Indianapolis and Cleveland a show at 19:06 GMT or 3:07 p.m. and 19:14 GMT or 3:14 p.m. EDT, respectively. The path will cover most of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, providing totality to observers around Niagara Falls and Buffalo, NY. After Sherbrooke, Quebec sees 3m26s of totality, the moon’s shadow will cross northern Maine, then central New Brunswick and the western half of Prince Edward Island. The eclipse centre line will pass close to Channel-Port aux Basques at 5:09 p.m. Newfoundland Time and then sweep through central Newfoundland until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean at Bonavista, NFLD at 5:15 p.m. NT. The moon’s shadow will lift off the Earth in the North Atlantic Ocean at 19:53 GMT – a total trip time of 3h14m. A partial solar eclipse will be visible from Hawaii, across North America (except Alaska), Central America, and the northern edge of South America. Proper eclipse glasses will be required when any amount of the sun is visible, even for those on the total eclipse track. This eclipse will occur one day after perigee, generating large tides worldwide and also lengthening totality due to the increased size of the moon.
Wednesday, April 10 – Crescent Moon Joins Jupiter (after sunset)
A pretty sight will greet skywatchers at dusk on Wednesday, April 10 when the young crescent moon will pose to the upper left of the bright planet Jupiter in the western sky. The duo, which will share the view in binoculars (orange circle), will first appear as the sky begins to darken and then shine above the rooftops until about 9:30 p.m. local time – with the pretty Pleiades star cluster aka Messier 45 sprinkled a fist’s diameter above them. Earlier, watch for Earthshine on the moon. Sometimes called the Ashen Glow or the Old Moon in the New Moon’s Arms, the phenomenon is visible within a day or two of new moon, when sunlight reflected off Earth and back toward the moon slightly brightens the unlit portion of the moon’s Earth-facing hemisphere. Once the sky darkens, look for the small dot of Uranus above Jupiter and Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks less than a binoculars’ field below Jupiter.
Wednesday, April 10 – Mars Passes Saturn (before sunrise)
In the southeastern sky before sunrise on Wednesday, April 10, the easterly motion of reddish Mars will carry it closely past yellowish Saturn in a spectacular conjunction. The two planets, both about equally bright, will rise together around 5 a.m. local time and then climb until the morning twilight hides them. Mars and Saturn will be cozy enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle) from April 3 to 18, and telescope-close from Tuesday to Friday – though they will swap sides over that period. Turn all optics away from the eastern horizon before the sun rises.
Thursday, April 11 – Moon with the Jewels of Taurus (evening)
After posing near Jupiter the day before, on Thursday, April 11 the waxing crescent moon will hop higher in the western sky to shine above and between two jewels of Taurus in early evening. The bright little Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters and Messier 45, will be located to the moon’s lower right (or celestial west). The larger and sparser Hyades star cluster, which forms the triangular face of Taurus, the Bull, will twinkle off to the moon’s left. The bright planet Jupiter might catch your eye below them.
Friday, April 12 – The Winter Triangle (evening)
The lower part of the south and western sky on early April evenings is dominated by the three stars of the Winter Triangle. The prominent asterism, visible even while the waxing crescent moon is shining nearby on Friday, April 12, is anchored on the bottom by the magnitude -1.45 star Sirius or Alpha Canis Majoris, the brightest star in the night sky. Above Sirius (to the celestial NNE) shines the white, magnitude 0.34 star Procyon or Alpha Canis Minoris. The third, northwestern vertex is occupied by the reddish, magnitude 0.50 star Betelgeuse or Alpha Orionis. The Winter Triangle first appears in late evening during November. By the end of April it will be disappearing into the western post-sunset twilight.
Sunday, April 14 – Half Moon Hops Gemini’s Twins (evening)
High in the western sky on Sunday evening, April 14, the almost half-illuminated, waxing gibbous moon will shine below Gemini’s brightest stars Pollux and Castor. As the night wears on, the moon’s eastward orbital motion will shift it closer to Pollux. All three will set around 2:45 a.m. local time. On the following evening, the first quarter moon will be positioned to the upper left (or celestial southeast) of those stars.
Monday, April 15 – First Quarter Moon (at 19:13 GMT)
The moon will complete the first quarter of its orbit around Earth on Monday, April 15 at 3:13 p.m. EDT or 12:13 p.m. PDT and 19:13 GMT. At first quarter, the relative positions of the Earth, sun, and moon cause us to see our natural satellite half-illuminated – on its eastern side. First quarter moons always rises around noon and set around midnight, allowing them to be seen in the afternoon daytime sky, too. The evenings surrounding first quarter are the best for viewing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight.
Tuesday, April 16 – Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel (all night)
On Tuesday night, April 16, the moon’s waxing gibbous phase will favor a look at a trio of large craters located a short distance south of the moon’s center (red lines). Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, and Arzachel are all large enough to see with binoculars and any size of telescope. The northernmost crater Ptolemaeus (96 miles or 154 km wide) has been battered by later impacts that confirm its older age. The flat, almost featureless floor has been filled by lava flows, submerging its central peak and elevating its floor. Alphonsus (74 miles or 119 km wide) is older yet and only partially filled, allowing its central peak to remain visible. Alphonsus contains a triangle of dark spots that are most prominent when the moon is full – ash deposits from long-ago volcanic venting. Relatively young Arzachel (60 miles or 96 km wide) has an unaltered floor and a terraced rim. A large number of north-south lineations surround the craters – carved by ejecta blasted out during the powerful Imbrium Basin impact event.
Thursday, April 18 – Asteroid Juno Stands Still (all night)
On Thursday, April 18, the main belt asteroid designated (3) Juno will complete a westward retrograde loop that began in mid-January and return to regular eastward motion through the stars of Leo. Tonight, the bright waxing gibbous moon will be located a couple of finger widths above the faint magnitude 9.9 asteroid, so delay your viewing of Juno for a few nights to allow the moon to move away. Once the moon isn’t around, aim your binoculars (orange circle) a finger’s width above the medium-bright star Rho Leonis. As April continues into May, the asteroid will swing east and pass a medium-bright star named 53 Leonis.
Friday, April 19 – Enjoying Mare Imbrium (evening)
On Friday, April 19, the lunar terminator will have moved beyond the western rim of Mare Imbrium, the Sea of Rains. That dark, circular feature dominates the northwestern quadrant of the moon’s Earth-facing hemisphere. The mare is the moon’s largest impact basin, measuring more than 715 miles (1,145 km) in diameter. It was formed during the late heavy bombardment period approximately 3.94 billion years ago. Binoculars and backyard telescope views of Mare Imbrium at this phase will reveal ejecta blankets around its major craters Aristillus, Autolycus, and Archimedes, the nearly-submerged ghost craters Cassini and Wallace, the isolated mountain ranges Recti, Teneriffe, and Spitzbergen, and an interior ring of subtle wrinkle ridges. The half-circle of Sinus Iridum, the Bay of Rainbows, interrupts Imbrium’s western edge.
Saturday, April 20 – Jupiter Passes Uranus (after dusk)
In the western evening sky on the evenings surrounding Saturday, April 20, the very bright planet Jupiter will have a close conjunction with the much fainter planet Uranus. You will need the sky to darken to see Uranus’ magnitude 5.8 blue-green spot in binoculars (orange circle). Before Saturday, Uranus will be positioned to Jupiter’s upper right (or celestial northeast). At closest approach on Saturday, the duo will easily share the eyepiece in a backyard telescope, with Uranus positioned half a finger’s width to the right (or 0.45 degrees to the celestial north) of Jupiter. Note that your telescope will likely flip and/or mirror their arrangement. After Saturday, Jupiter will climb higher than Uranus – but the pair will be settling into the western twilight. Watch for comet 12P/Pons-Brooks positioned to the lower left (or celestial south) of the two planets.
Sunday, April 21 – Lyrids Meteor Shower Peak (overnight)
The annual Lyrids meteor shower, derived from particles dropped by comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), runs from April 16 to 29. It will peak in intensity at approximately 3 am EDT on Monday, April 22, but meteors should be seen while the shower’s radiant point near the bright star Vega in Lyra rises in the eastern sky late on Sunday night, April 21. The Lyrids can produce up to 15-20 meteors per hour at the peak, with occasional fireballs, but a full moon will spoil the shower this year. For best results, try to view the meteors from a safe location that has a wide open sky free of light pollution. Hide the bright moon behind a building or tree and just look up.
Monday, April 22 – Bright Moon Passes Spica (all night)
In the eastern sky commencing after dusk on Monday, April 22, the nearly full moon will be shining very close to Virgo’s brightest star Spica, which is 263 light-years away from our sun. Use binoculars (orange circle) to track the pair across the sky through the night. The moon’s orbital motion will shift it closely above and then farther to the left of Spica. Before dawn the moon will be positioned quite far to Spica’s upper left (celestial east-southeast).
Tuesday, April 23 – Full Pink Moon (at 23:49 GMT)
The moon will officially reach its full phase at 7:49 p.m. EDT or 4:49 p.m. PDT or 23:49 GMT on Tuesday, April 23. April’s full moon, commonly called the Pink Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, or Fish Moon, always shines in or near the stars of Virgo or Libra. The moon won’t look pink, though – the name arises from the forest wildflowers blooming in April. The indigenous Ojibwe groups of the Great Lakes region call the April full moon Iskigamizige-giizis “the Maple Sap Boiling Moon” or Namebine-giizis, “the Sucker Moon”. For them it signifies a time to learn cleansing and healing ways. The Cree of North America call it Niskipisim, “the Goose Moon” – the time when the geese return with spring. For the Mi’kmaw people of Eastern Canada, this is Penatmuiku’s, “the Birds Laying Eggs Time Moon”. The Cherokee call it Kawonuhi, “the Flower Moon”, when the plants bloom. Full moons always rise in the east as the sun sets, and set in the west at sunrise.
Thursday, April 25 – Gibbous Moon Approaches Antares (late night)
Once the bright, waning gibbous moon clears the treetops in the east around midnight local time on Thursday, April 25, it will be shining among the little white claw stars of Scorpius and almost a fist’s diameter to the upper right (or celestial west-northwest) of the very bright reddish star Antares, which marks the scorpion’s heart. By dawn on Friday, April 26 in the Americas, the moon will have crept a bit closer to Antares. Almost a day later, skywatchers from northeastern Africa and parts of the Middle East and across the Indian Ocean to Indonesia can see the orbital motion of the moon (green line) carry it in front of Antares in the wee hours of April 27.
Friday, April 26 – The Three Leaps of the Gazelle (all night)
The large and bright constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear is at the zenith after dusk in late April. Everyone is familiar with the Big Dipper asterism portion of that constellation. Another easily seen, but lesser-known pattern is the Three Leaps of the Gazelle, composed of three pairs of medium-bright stars strung in a line spanning nearly 30 degrees of the sky. In each pair, the stars are separated by about a thumb’s width (or 1.5 degrees). The most westerly stars Al Kaprah and Talitha, are found by extending a line drawn diagonally through the Big Dipper’s bowl from Megrez to Merak, i.e., towards Castor and Pollux. The central pair of Tania Borealis and Tania Australis shines midway between the bright stars Dubhe and Ras Elased Australis in Leo. The lowest (most easterly) duo named Alula Borealis and Alula Australis, are close to a line extended to the right (celestial south) from Dubhe through Merak. The word Alula arises from Arabic for “first leap”, while Tania means “second”, and Talitha means “third”.
Monday, April 29 – Mars Meets Neptune (pre-dawn)
In late April, the two bright planets Mars and Saturn will shine above the eastern horizon every morning before sunrise. Monday morning, April 8 offers an opportunity to see the distant and faint planet Neptune when it will be positioned just to the upper right (or celestial west) of Mars. Blue Neptune and reddish Mars will share the view in a backyard telescope (orange circle) from Saturday to Tuesday. At closest approach on Monday, Neptune will appear just 0.2 degrees from Mars. Skywatchers living at lower latitudes, where the ecliptic (green line) will be more vertical, will see the planets more easily – higher and in a darker sky.
Read more at: https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html