Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).
Brief Calendar of Events
| Date | Event |
| 4 |
Thu |
Last Quarter Moon |
| 7 |
Sun |
Mercury at superior conjunction |
| 10 |
Wed |
Moon at apogee |
| 12 |
Fri |
New Moon |
| 16 |
Tue |
Moon occults Saturn |
| 20 |
Sat |
First Quarter Moon |
| 22 |
Mon |
Lyrids meteor shower |
| 23 |
Tue |
Pi Puppids meteor shower |
| 25 |
Thu |
Moon at perigee |
| 27 |
Sat |
Full Moon |
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.
Northern Europe will witness the crescent Moon occult Saturn from around 17 UT on 16 April.
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
- After superior conjunction on 7 April, Mercury joins Venus in the western sky after sunset. This month and next are the best times for northern hemisphere observers to see this elusive planet this year whilst the southern hemisphere has to make due with a poor apparition. Mercury moves from the constellation Pisces to the constellation Aries.
- Venus
- The northern hemisphere also gets the best views of the "evening star" this month as Venus climbs ever higher. However, this bright planet stays stubbornly close to the horizon for those in the southern hemisphere. Our sister planet can be found in the constellations Pisces and Taurus.
- Mars
- Mars reaches equinox on 18 April, with spring beginning in the northern hemisphere and autumn beginning in the south. The red planet moves from the constellation Aries into Taurus, passing just north of the Hyades open star cluster. Look for it before it sets around 10pm.
- Jupiter
- The largest planet in the solar system sets just after midnight in the constellation Gemini.
- Saturn
- The Moon occults the ringed planet on 16 April. It sets shortly after Mars and can be seen lingering near the Hyades open star cluster in the constellation Taurus.
- Uranus
- Rising in the early morning hours, this gas giant moves into the constellation Aquarius this month.
- Neptune
- Neptune just precedes its solar system neighbour Uranus in the sky. Look for it in the constellation Capricornus.
- Pluto
- Pluto is so small and faint that 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
- Comet C/2002 C1 (Ikeya-Zhang) is beginning to fade as it starts its journey out of the inner solar system. Visible to the naked eye, northern hemisphere observers should look for it in the northeast just before sunrise. Found near the spiral galaxy M31 early in the month, the comet travels from the constellation Andromeda through Cepheus towards Draco.
- Meteors
- A waxing gibbous Moon spoils this year's Lyrids and Pi Puppids meteor 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
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
Southern Hemisphere : 30° S
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
For More Information...
- Consult our online glossary for non-technical explanations of many of the astronomical terms used in these pages.
- Blue moons, eclipses, the dates of Easter and much more can be found at the Interactive Astronomy Pages.
- For more information about the objects and events described in SkyEye, visit these astronomy-related sites.
Credits
Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of your favourite amateur astronomy magazine 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. Used with permission.
Copyright © 1995-2002 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman
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Obliquity
Last modified on 31 March 2002
https://www.obliquity.com/skyeye/archive/2002/apr2002.html