April 19 Procyon
The bright star Procyon shines in the west after sunset tonight.
We know that it’s one of our closest stellar neighbors, at a
distance of less than 12 light-years. And thanks to some recent
research, we now know its age, too: about 1.7 billion years.
April 19 Procyon
The bright star Procyon shines in the west after sunset tonight. We know that it’s one of our closest stellar neighbors, at a distance of less than 12 light-years. And thanks to some recent research, we now know its age, too: about 1.7 billion years.
April 20 Virgo
The constellation Virgo is easy to find tonight because it rises below the Moon. Look for the brilliant planet Jupiter below the Moon, and Virgo’s brightest star, Spica, below Jupiter.
April 21 Moon and Jupiter
Look for the planet Jupiter near the Moon tonight. It looks like a brilliant cream-colored star to the lower left of the Moon at nightfall. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
April 22 Moon, Jupiter and Spica
Three nighttime luminaries conga-line their way across the southern sky tonight: the Moon, the planet Jupiter and the star Spica. Jupiter is the brilliant point of light above the Moon in early evening. Fainter Spica stands below the Moon.
April 23 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
The Moon is full early tomorrow, so sunlight will illuminate the entire lunar disk. The Moon will pass through the outer portion of Earth’s shadow, creating a penumbral lunar eclipse. The Moon will shine a bit fainter, although most people won’t detect a difference.
April 24 Full Moon
The Moon is full at 3:06am. PDT today, as it lines up squarely opposite the Sun in our sky. Sunlight illuminates the entire lunar hemisphere that faces Earth. This evening, the Moon will rise shortly after sunset.
April 25 Mercury in the Morning
The planet Mercury inches into the early morning sky over the next few days, but it’s a tough target. From about Oklahoma City southward, look for Mercury peeking just above the eastern horizon about a half hour before sunrise. It looks like a faint star.
April 26 Moon and Antares
Look near the gibbous Moon early tomorrow for a preview of the summer star Antares, the “heart” of Scorpius, the scorpion. Antares is to the upper right of the Moon as they rise in late evening, and precedes the Moon across the sky.
