Highlights

Your guide to the night sky this month

Monday

Mars is currently close to the Pleiades open cluster, providing an excellent opportunity for astrophotography. See pages 46 and 76 for more information.

Tuesday

This evening the thickening lunar crescent, now 20%-lit, will sit just to the east of the bright orange star Aldebaran (Alpha (_) Tauri).

Tuesday

16

Mag. +0.3 Mercury and mag. –3.8 Venus are just 4.3° apart in this morning’s sky just 30 minutes before sunrise. This will be a difficult spot, requiring a very flat eastern horizon.

Thursday

25

This morning the 67%-lit waning gibbous Moon will appear 5.8° west of mag. +0.9 Saturn. Tomorrow morning the now 57%-lit waning gibbous Moon will be 6.7° to the east of the planet.

Monday

22

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks tonight, but the presence of a bright Moon will interfere with the visual show. The shower has a ZHR of 18 meteors per hour.

Tuesday

Mag. +0.9 Mercury, a 9%-lit waning crescent Moon and mag. –3.9 Venus appear close in the morning sky. This is a tricky event to see due to its low altitude just before sunrise.

Friday

Minor planet 7 Iris is at opposition today. It appears as a mag. +9.4 object in Corvus, not too far from M014, the Sombrero Galaxy. See page 53.

Wednesday

10

The 29%-lit waxing crescent Moon gives a chance to see Alexander’s Beaded Rim, a clair obscur effect. View around 23:30 BST (22:30 UT) to see star-like points at the rim of crater Alexander. 2 Pallas reaches opposition at mag. +7.9 in Boötes. See page 47.

Tuesday

23

A telescopic view of Jupiter just after 01:00 BST (00:00 UT) will show Ganymede's shadow in transit. The mag. –2.3 planet appears close to an 84%-lit waning gibbous Moon. At 04:40 BST (03:40 UT), both appear due south, separated by 4.5°.

Wednesday

3

With little interference from the Moon, this is an ideal time to look for the zodiacal light, a rounded conical glow aligned along the ecliptic. With dark skies, it will typically be in the west for 90 minutes, starting 90 minutes after sunset.

Thursday

11

Mercury reaches greatest western elongation at 27.7°W. Despite this, it is poorly positioned in the morning sky, rising only a short time before the Sun.

Tuesday

30

A telescopic view of Jupiter just after 04:40 BST (03:40 UT), as the sky is brightening, will reveal Ganymede’s giant shadow beginning its transit across the Jovian disc. This should remain visible as the dawn breaks (see page 47).

Thursday

There is a great opportunity to see Io’s shadow appear on Jupiter’s disc this morning. View from around 03:00 BST (02:00 UT). Io itself will be in transit from around 04:05 until 06:15 BST (03:05 until 05:15 UT).

Saturday

This evening sees the peak of the weak Kappa-Serpentids meteor shower. Although it has a low ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) of 4 meteors per hour, the sky will be dark thanks to a new Moon on 5 April.

Sunday A

14

telescopic view of this evening’s 73%-lit waxing gibbous Moon will reveal the clair obscur effect known as the Jewelled Handle. This is formed by morning sunlight illuminating the tops of the Jura Mountains.

Wednesday

24

Minor planet 44 Nysa reaches opposition at mag. +9.9 in Virgo. This evening Nysa is located about 1° south of Iota Virginis.

Monday

This month’s Moonwatch target, Mare Fecunditatis, will be nicely presented on this evening’s waxing crescent Moon. Turn to page 52 for more information.

The 12%-lit waxing crescent Moon will join the Mars, Pleiades and Hyades grouping this evening.