The Night Sky: April

Sun

Daylight Savings ends at 3am on April 1. The lower elevation of the sun will become quite noticeable as the month progresses.

Moon

There are two full moons this month on April 1 and 30. Last Quarter is on the 8th. New noon falls on the 16th and First Quarter follows on the 23rd.

Planets

Mercury moves into the morning sky after April 2 and is well positioned for viewing during the second half of the month, rising two hours before the sun.

Around 6am, look east north east for a bright, yellowish star a short distance above the horizon.

Venus is visible low in the western sky for about an hour after sunset.

Mars is in the constellation of Sagittarius and rises around 10pm. At the start of the month it appears close to Saturn.

On the 7th the waning moon appears nearby both planets.

Jupiter rises shortly after the sun sets and is an unmistakeable object in the eastern sky.

On the morning of April 4 the moon and Jupiter are four degrees apart.

Saturn is visible throughout most of the evening.

A moderate size telescope will show its giant ring system as well as Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, which appears as a star like point of light.

Stars and Constellations

If we look northwards, Castor and Pollux, the two main stars of Gemini, stand out.

To their east is Cancer, and just on the meridian lies Regulus, the brightest star of Leo the Lion.

Virgo is now clear of the eastern horizon, with its chief star, Spica, appearing midway up the north-eastern sky.

In the west, Orion is now beginning to set, followed by Canis Major, the Great Dog. As the evening progresses, Scorpius, with the ever-bright Antares, begins to rise.

The Milky Way runs south-east to north-west, with the Southern Cross and the Pointers rising higher in the heavens.

Canopus and Achernar are the only bright stars in the south-western quadrant.

Prepared for The Taranaki Daily News by Tom Whelan, Cape Egmont Observatory.