Celestial Events for April
Good morning and Happy Saturday! Yay, it's my favorite day of the week, and I've got a full day planned, plus the weather is going to be gorgeous all weekend, so I'm excited to get out and get moving. I also fully intend on getting my book The Box finished as well, so my weekend is going to be busy too, but I digress.
It turns out that April is going to be a great month for viewing the night sky. February and March weren't as exciting -- at least for those of us in the Northwestern Hemisphere, so this month will be more exciting. Here's what's happening:
- Friday, April 7: Jupiter will be closet to the Earth, and, because of this, will be illuminated by the Sun. This means it will be nice and bright, making it easy to view throughout the entire evening, so make sure you get out there (telescopes or not) and take a look or snap a few pictures.
- Tuesday, April 11: The Full Moon is back, woo hoo! There's nothing quite like an impressively large, bright Moon hanging out in the sky. This particular one is also known as the Full Pink Moon because it typically denotes the appearance of the moss pink phlox, a spring flower.
- Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23: The Lyrids Meteor Shower will peak during the night of the 22nd through the morning of the 23rd. It's anticipated to be dark enough to get a good look without a telescope.
- Wednesday, April 26: A New Moon is out. A new moon is located on the same side as the Earth, making it absent from the night sky. This means that it's a great time to view objects in the sky that are usually drowned out by the moonlight. Faint galaxies, planets, star clusters, and the like, will all be easier viewed.
- Saturday, April 29: Today is International Astronomy Day. Some places will hold local events for the occasion, and hopefully you'll be close to one of them. For more information, click here.
I hope you can get out and view at least one of these events next month! Stargazing is a great way to bring Space closer and learn more about the rest of the Universe. For tips on how to view the night sky, click here.
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