SkyEye

The Calendar

The Solar System

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. Dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies, including comets, are not so constrained, often moving far above or below the ecliptic.

Sun Pisces → Aries

Mercury Pisces → Aries

Mercury bounds high above the western horizon at sunset for northern observers, peaking around greatest elongation east on 18 April, and then descending towards the Sun. It stays much lower in altitude when viewed from southern latitudes.

Venus Aquarius → Pisces → Cetus → Pisces

A very low morning star continues to sink in the eastern sky. Although still easy to spot from the southern hemisphere, northern observers are finding it increasingly difficult to see Earth's nearest neighbour.

Mars Ophiuchus

The red planet is heading toward opposition next month and is rising during evening hours.

3 Juno Libra → Virgo

This large asteroid is at opposition on 26 April but will manage only a feeble magnitude 10 so optical aids will be required to see it.

Jupiter Leo

Jupiter was a opposition early last month, so it is still up most of the night and well-placed for observing during the evening.

Saturn Ophiuchus

Now past west quadrature, the ringed planet is rising ever earlier before midnight, trailing Mars in the sky.

Uranus Pisces

At solar conjunction on the ninth day of the month, this ice giant is unobservable throughout April.

Neptune Aquarius

A small telescope is necessary to view the most distant planet in the solar system. It may be far enough removed from the solar glare to be visible in the early morning hours.