SkyEye

Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).

The Sun and Moon

There are no eclipses this month.

As seen from the Earth, the Sun is moving from the constellation Pisces to the constellation Aries.

The phases of the Moon are

New : 4 April
First Quarter : 11 April
Full : 18 April
Last Quarter : 26 April

The Moon is at perigee on 8 April and at apogee on 24 April.

The Moon occults Neptune on 26 April in an event that can be seen from Antarctica.

The Planets

The word planet is derived from the Greek word for "wanderer." Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars.
Mercury
Mercury joins its fellow inferior planet Venus on 28 April when the two appear very close together in the eastern sky just before sunrise. Mercury is found in the constellations Aquarius and Pisces.
Venus
The "morning star" continues to sink closer to the eastern horizon. Southern hemisphere observers get much the best views of this planet as it rises just ahead of the Sun. Venus can be found in the constellations Aquarius and Pisces.
Mars
The red planet passes close by Jupiter on 6 April and Saturn ten days later. It is getting lower and lower in the western sky at sunset and can be found in the constellations Aries and Taurus.
Jupiter
The largest planet in the solar system has a close encounter with Mars on 6 April. Look for Jupiter in the constellation Aries.
Saturn
On 16 April Mars appears close by Saturn in the constellation Aries. Both planets are getting increasingly difficult to observe as they become lost in the glare from the Sun.
Uranus
This denizen of the outer solar system rises in the early morning hours in the constellation Capricornus.
Neptune
The Moon occults Neptune on 26 April when the blue gas giant is at west quadrature in the constellation Capricornus.
Pluto
Pluto rises in mid-evening but because it is so small and faint, a large telescope is always needed to see it. The outermost planet in the solar system is located in the constellation Ophiuchus.

Minor Planets, Comets and Meteors

Minor Planets
A number of interesting minor planets populate the solar system.
Comets
There are no naked-eye comets visible this month.
Meteors
Two meteor showers are on offer this month. The Lyrids peak at 22 UT on 21 April and two days later, at 9 UT, southern hemisphere observers will have a chance to look for the Pi Puppids. Unfortunately, the waning Moon will offer considerable interference for both showers.

The Celestial Sphere

Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognises 88 different constellations. The brightest stars as seen from the Earth are easy to spot but do you know their proper names? With a set of binoculars you can look for fainter objects such as nebulae and galaxies or some of the closest stars to the Sun.

Descriptions of the sky for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres are available for the following times this month. Subtract one hour from your local time if daylight savings time is in effect. (Note: These times are approximate.)

Northern Hemisphere : 45° N

Southern Hemisphere : 30° S

For More Information...

Credits

Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of Sky & Telescope and in other fine amateur astronomy magazines available in your local bookshop. Another excellent source is the current edition of the Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell and published by the Universal Workshop at Furman University.

The image of the Sun in the SkyEye banner is courtesy of the SOHO/EIT consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.

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Last modified on 31 March 2000
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