Introduction
March ended with a decent amount of precipitation, allowing Utah to reach a new record with the amount of snowpack for the winter. The final week in March also allowed Utahns the chance to see the Northern Lights from a dark sky location. Unfortunately, the cloud cover in my area prevented me from viewing the Northern Lights.
April will typically bring a temperature warm-up and rain showers to Utah. So far, the weather this year has been more unpredictable than usual, so an observer should take every chance they get to look up and view the wonders of the sky above. This year, April will bring a rare "Hybrid Eclipse" for those near Australia. Due to the curvature of the Earth, a Hybrid Eclipse can be viewed as an Annular Eclipse near the edges of the eclipse path, or a Total Solar Eclipse at the center of the eclipse path. Hybrid eclipses occur, on average, between five and 24 times every 100 years. April brings the return of the Lyrid meteor shower which will peak under ideal circumstances, weather permitting. With solar maximum approaching (July 2025), there is an increased chance of viewing the Northern Lights in Utah. Be sure to pay attention to your local news or favorite stargazing app for more detailed information on this event.
 |
| Mercury |
Mercury will be visible for most of April in the western sky after sunset. At the start of the month, the innermost planet will be found close to the horizon and may be hard to spot. As the month continues, Mercury will rise higher in the western sky until the 11th, when it reaches its greatest eastern elongation. On the 20th, a one-day-old Moon will join Mercury in the sky but may be hard to see. Near the end of the month, Mercury and Uranus can be found within 4° of each other, but may also prove challenging to see unless the observer can reach a high elevation. April brings the best evening view of the innermost planet for 2023, so grab a chair and a clear view of the western horizon to enjoy it!
 |
| Venus |
Venus has been an easy target for the past few months in the evening sky. This month will still bring easy views of the Earth's sister planet and a few photo opportunities for the astrophotographers out there. Uranus can be found within 3° of Venus on the first evening of April. The two planets will grow apart as the month progresses. Near the 10th, Venus will approach the Pleiades (M45), creating a great target for astrophotographers and visual astronomers. The following week, on the 17th, Venus can be found between M45 and the Hyades star cluster, creating another great opportunity for astrophotographers and visual astronomers. On the 22nd, the Moon and Venus can be found just 7° apart. This will also create a fantastic opportunity for astrophotographers and visual astronomers to view Venus, the Moon, M45, and the Hyades.
 |
| Mars |
The red color of Mars will contrast the stars of Gemini during April. At the start of the month, M35, an open star cluster, can be found near Mars. As April progresses, Mars will move closer to the bright stars, Castor and Pollux, in Gemini. The Moon will join Mars in this region of the sky on the 25th. The Red Planet has been increasing its distance from the Earth so telescopic views will show little to no surface detail.
 |
| Jupiter |
 |
| Saturn |
Unfortunately, Jupiter will be in conjunction with the Sun on April 11 and will not be visible during April. This planet will return to view in May, rising above the eastern mountains shortly before the morning Sun.
Saturn was recently in conjunction with the Sun and can be found close to our star during the first part of April. As the month progresses, Saturn will rise earlier, making it easier to spot in the morning sky. A thin crescent Moon can be found just 5° below Saturn on the morning of April 16. The best time to view Saturn will come later in the year.
 |
| Neptune |
 |
| Uranus |
The two ice giants can be viewed through a pair of binoculars but will look their best through a telescope. Uranus will be found close to the western horizon during April and will be a challenging target for most observers. The best chance for viewing this planet will be during the early part of April. As the month progresses, Uranus will sink closer to the western horizon, leading to its conjunction with the Sun in May. Observers at a high elevation and a clear view of the western horizon can spot Mercury and Uranus while they have about 4° of separation on April 21. During this same evening, a crescent Moon can also be found in the western sky.
Neptune reached conjunction with the Sun on the 15th of March and will remain a hard object to spot during April. The best chance will come towards the end of the month when this ice giant rises above the eastern mountains about an hour before sunrise.
Meteor Shower
The meteor shower drought will be quenched this month with the return of the Lyrids. This meteor shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Lyra, next to Hercules. During its peak date on the 22nd, an observer can expect to see close to 20 meteors per hour. As temperatures begin to warm up, observers should consider viewing the Moon and Sun (with proper eye protection!) as easy targets this month.
Spot Me....🕵️
 |
| The night sky as an observer faces East after sunset. |
 |
| Leo the Lion with constellation lines and labels as well as important stars labeled. |
The first galaxy, or group of galaxies rather, can be found near the rear legs of Leo. M65 (aka NGC 3623) and M66 (aka NGC 3627) make up two of the three galaxies that are known as the Leo Triplet. All three galaxies can be seen in a single field of view with a four-inch or larger telescope. Both M65 and M66 are spiral galaxies, like the Andromeda Galaxy. See the image below for the location of the Leo Triplet.
 |
| Location of the Leo Triplet in Leo the Lion. |
The other three galaxies that are part of the Messier catalog and can be found in Leo, are also located close together. The first target is M95 (aka NGC 3351), a barred spiral galaxy like our own Milky Way. This Messier object can be found just below the belly center of the lion. An observer can also use the bright star Regulus, which makes up the front legs of Leo, and Chertan which makes up the hind legs. M95 can be found about halfway between these two stars. Additionally, Algieba, the star that represents the neck of Leo, can be used in conjunction with Regulus to locate M95. Image a line coming off of Regulus, heading back towards the hind legs of Leo, and a line projected off of Algieba heading towards the belly of Leo (like a piece of tasty food that Leo has just eaten). Where these imaginary lines intersect, an observer will find M95. See the image below for the location of M95.
 |
| Location of M95 in Leo the Lion. |
The next target, M96 (aka NGC 3368) is another example of a barred spiral galaxy. If an observer is using a wide-field, low-power eyepiece, it may be in the same field of view as M95. If not, simply nudge the scope to view the area of the sky just to the left of M95. See the image below for the location of M96.
 |
| Location of M96 in Leo the Lion. |
The final Messier target in Leo is M105 (aka NGC 3379) an elliptical galaxy. This object can be found just above, towards the belly of Leo, from M95 and M96. After viewing the five Messier objects of Leo, I encourage interested observers to scan the sky below the belly of Leo to find more faint galaxies. This area is littered with galaxies, perhaps like a litter of lion cubs seeking their parent for protection. See the image below for the location of M105.
 |
| Location of M105 in Leo the Lion. |
Below, I have included two images of the location of the five Messier objects located in Leo the Lion. The first image shows the location without any other markings. The second image shows the location of the Messier objects with constellation lines and labels as well as the three stars that were referenced in locating these objects.
 |
| The Messier objects of Leo the Lion. |
 |
| The Messier objects of Leo the Lion with constellation lines and labels and important stars labeled. |
The images in the "Spot Me..." section are provided by Stellarium, a free planetarium software. Here is an updated file of the Messier Catalog. Be sure to check back around the 15th of April for the discussion of the Messier objects belonging to Coma Berenices!
Monthly Breakdown
April 06: Full Moon 🌕
April 11: Jupiter in conjunction with the Sun
April 11: Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation
April 13: Last Quarter Moon🌗
April 16: Moon passes within 5° of Saturn
April 20: New Moon 🌑
April 22: Lyrid Meteor Shower peaks
April 23: Moon passes within 2° of Venus
April 25: Moon passes within 3° of Mars
April 27: First Quarter Moon 🌓
Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts. You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.
 |
| Now get outside and look up! |
Planet images were taken by NASA.
Andrew vs. the Cosmos was taken by Jeff Greenland.
No comments:
Post a Comment