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

The Sun and Moon take part in a total lunar eclipse this month on 4 April.

Mercury Pisces → Cetus → Pisces → Aries → Taurus

With superior conjunction occuring on 10 April, tiny Mercury vanishes from the morning sky early in the month, only to reappear in the west after sunset from mid-April. It is best viewed late in the month from northern latitudes.

Venus Aries → Taurus

The evening star continues to dazzle viewers in the northern hemisphere as it hovers far above the sunset horizon. It continues to climb away from the Sun, rising ever higher in the darkening sky.

Mars Aries

The red planet may be found low in the west at sunset, setting by mid-evening.

Jupiter Cancer

The king of the planets is well-placed for viewing in the evening hours this month, not setting until well after midnight.

Saturn Scorpius

The ringed planet is finally rising before midnight — look for it in the east. It will continue to rise earlier every night as it heads towards opposition next month.

Uranus Pisces

At solar conjunction on the sixth day of the month, this ice giant is unobservable throughout April. The New Moon occults it on 18 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.