TORONTO -- As the weather warms, April nights will be full of celestial wonders from the “Belt of Venus” and the constellation of Leo, to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the first person in space.
The first full month of spring will start strong with Saturn, Jupiter and the moon appearing in the early dawn sky on April 6. According to NASA, the trio will appear above the southeastern horizon. Saturn will arrive first around 4:03 a.m. ET, with the moon following close behind just 19 minutes later and Jupiter taking position at 4:39 a.m. ET.
A new moon will be marked on April 11 at 10:31 p.m. ET, when the moon passes between Earth and the sun. The new moon won’t be visible in the night sky as it will cross the sky during the day with the sun.
Then, on April 12, space enthusiasts can mark the 60th anniversary of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who entered orbit for 108 minutes, according to NASA.
For those anticipating the Lyrid meteor shower, you might have better luck next year. The shower is expected just before dawn on April 22, but NASA says the light from the waxing moon will make it difficult to spot the usual 18 meteors per hour. The best time to catch a glimpse of the meteors will be between 4:07 and 4:44 a.m. ET when the moon sets and before the dawn begins.
While the meteor shower on April 22 might be a bust, there’s still the “Belt of Venus” to look forward to. If the skies are clear, look to the horizon opposite the sun at sunset for a pinkish glow. The belt will form an arch at sunset.
April’s full moon is called the Pink moon and this year will be a supermoon, meaning the moon is on its orbit closest to Earth. The full moon will form on April 26 at 11:31 p.m. ET and will appear full for three days, from April 25 to April 28.
All month long sky watchers should be able to see the constellation Leo, NASA says to look for the bright white star Regulus that makes up the heart of the lion. Two stars in the constellation have been confirmed to have exoplanets.
