Photo credit: www.astronomy.com
Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron.
Friday, April 18
Jupiter dominates the early evening sky, residing in the constellation Taurus, visible in the western horizon as twilight approaches. Nestled between Taurus’s horns and above Aldebaran, its notable red giant star, Jupiter shines brilliantly at a magnitude of –2. To its lower right lies the Pleiades star cluster (M45), which is easily spotted by the naked eye, especially with minimal moonlight interference.
Just below the Pleiades, Uranus can be found. While its magnitude of 5.8 makes it visible with binoculars under dark skies, it is best viewed shortly after sunset when it is still positioned higher in the sky, avoiding the blurriness often seen near the horizon. To locate Uranus, first focus on the Pleiades, then descend 4.5° south to find two stars of 6th magnitude, designated as 13 and 14 Tauri. The brighter of the two is 13 Tau.
From there, a brief 2.5° move southwest will lead you to Uranus, which will appear as a small grayish-blue disk about 1° north of a fainter 6.8 magnitude star in the vicinity.
For telescope users, Jupiter offers an exciting sight tonight with the transit of its moon Io along with its shadow. Observers in different time zones will note variances in visibility, as Io starts crossing Jupiter at 10:35 P.M. EDT. The shadow transit begins at 10:36 P.M. CDT, and by the time it ends around 10:50 P.M. MDT, Jupiter will have set for those in the Midwest. Meanwhile, Ganymede and Callisto will be found to the west of Jupiter, with Io and Europa appearing to the east until Io’s transit begins.
Sunrise: 6:17 A.M.
Sunset: 7:42 P.M.
Moonrise: 12:43 A.M.
Moonset: 9:23 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waning gibbous (73%)
*Times are local for 40° N 90° W. Moon illumination is also given at noon local time.
Saturday, April 19
Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN), discovered recently, remains at a steady 8th magnitude, becoming visible early in the morning before dawn. It is currently traveling through the constellation Andromeda, positioned in the northeast about an hour before sunrise, while the waning Moon is observed in Sagittarius over to the south.
To locate the comet in the coming days, use the bright star Mirach as a guidepost. Mirach shines at a magnitude of 2.1 and will be roughly 12° high in the northeast. Today, the comet sits just 2° southwest of Mirach, and tomorrow, it will shift to 1.5° from the star, positioning itself southeast of Mirach.
Due to its brightness, viewing SWAN may require binoculars or a small telescope. Its distinctive glowing green coma and tail can be captured beautifully in astrophotography, especially as the Moon approaches its position, providing a fantastic opportunity for landscape compositions with celestial elements. Each day, the comet rises a bit later, transitioning closer to the dawn sky.
Sunrise: 6:16 A.M.
Sunset: 7:43 P.M.
Moonrise: 1:36 A.M.
Moonset: 10:21 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waning gibbous (64%)
Sunday, April 20
Tonight marks the Last Quarter Moon at 9:36 P.M. EDT, positioned within Capricornus, although it won’t rise until about 3 A.M. local time tomorrow.
This timing is advantageous for those interested in deep-sky observations, especially with the constellation Virgo ascending in the southeastern portion of the sky after sunset. Virgo is notable for housing the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, including M87, a massive elliptical galaxy first identified in 1781. This galaxy, of magnitude 8.6, stretches nearly 7′ across and sits in northern Virgo, about halfway along the line connecting Epsilon and Beta Leonis. M87 hosts a black hole of 6.5 billion solar masses, the first to be imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope in a landmark photograph released in 2019. Astrophotographers can capture its jet, which stretches thousands of light-years beyond the galaxy, using larger telescopes and long exposure techniques.
Nearby M84 and M86, approximately 1.3° west-northwest of M87, form another focus point. M86 shines at magnitude 8.9 and is the easternmost of this pair, while M84, a shade dimmer at magnitude 9.1, sits just to the west.
Observers scanning the region will likely identify numerous other faint members of the Virgo Cluster, each contributing to the richness of the area.
Sunrise: 6:14 A.M.
Sunset: 7:44 P.M.
Moonrise: 2:20 A.M.
Moonset: 11:26 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waning gibbous (54%)
Monday, April 21
The Moon will pass very close to Pluto, just 0.7° south of this distant dwarf planet at 2 A.M. EDT.
At 3 P.M. EDT, Mercury will achieve its greatest western elongation at 27° from the Sun, becoming visible in the early morning skies at a magnitude of 0.4 and rising nearly an hour prior to the Sun. Observers should look to the east, where Mercury will reach a height of 4° about half an hour before sunrise. Optimal viewing conditions involve an unobstructed location with good elevation.
Venus will dominate the predawn canvas with its striking magnitude of –4.8, and a telescope view reveals a disk measuring about 43” with a crescent phase lit to approximately 21 percent. Dropping down about 9.9° to the lower left leads to Mercury, appearing smaller at 8” wide and nearly half-lit.
Saturn will also be visible, though faint at magnitude 1.2, located about 4.8° southeast of Venus. It should be relatively easy to see with binoculars or a telescope, with the latter enhancing views of its ringed beauty.
As with all celestial observations, prioritize putting away any optical instruments a few minutes before sunrise, as local timings may vary from those provided.
Sunrise: 6:13 A.M.
Sunset: 7:45 P.M.
Moonrise: 2:58 A.M.
Moonset: 12:36 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (43%)
Tuesday, April 22
The Lyrid meteor shower reaches its zenith tonight, offering prime viewing conditions during the early morning hours, particularly just after midnight until twilight begins.
The shower’s radiant point can be found to the upper right of Vega in the constellation Lyra. By 3 A.M. local daylight time, Vega will stand roughly 60° above the eastern horizon, part of the illustrious Summer Triangle, which includes Deneb and Altair. To maximize your chances of witnessing meteors, scan an area of 40° to 60° to the left and right of Vega, where meteors with bright trails are expected to be observed. The best conditions, yielding about 20 meteors per hour, will typically center around an hour before dawn.
Meteor showers are a phenomenon that occurs as Earth traverses through debris trails left by comets or active asteroids. The Lyrids have their origins tied to Comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), which made its last close approach to the Sun in 1861.
Sunrise: 6:11 A.M.
Sunset: 7:46 P.M.
Moonrise: 3:30 A.M.
Moonset: 1:48 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (33%)
Wednesday, April 23
Due to a slight tilt in its orbit, the Moon presents us with nearly the same face but exhibits a phenomenon known as libration, which allows observers to occasionally glimpse a bit more of its surface. Tonight, Mare Orientale will be visible as a prominent dark feature on the southwestern side of the Moon.
Mare Orientale, a significant impact basin, measures around 185 miles (300 kilometers) across, with mountain ranges extending its total width to approximately 600 miles (965 kilometers). Its floor consists of dark basaltic lava, with smaller lakes like Lacus Autumni and Lacus Veris evident in the vicinity. Observers using telescopes can best appreciate these features during the upcoming pre-dawn hours as the Moon rises around 4 A.M. local time.
This significant region will reappear for observation after the Third Quarter phase next month, so take advantage of the opportunity tonight.
Sunrise: 6:10 A.M.
Sunset: 7:47 P.M.
Moonrise: 3:58 A.M.
Moonset: 3:01 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (23%)
Thursday, April 24
As night envelops the sky, look northward to find the Big Dipper, a well-known star formation that appears inverted during early evening hours.
To locate it, follow the handle to Mizar and Alkaid, with Alkaid marking the end of the handle. Center your telescope on Alkaid, a magnitude 1.9 star, and then navigate approximately 5.5° northeast to find M101, also recognized as the Pinwheel Galaxy. M101, glowing at a magnitude of 7.8, is a face-on spiral galaxy covering nearly half a degree, which can make its details elusive in smaller telescopes. However, its bright core should be observable even with binoculars.
For those with larger telescopes and optimal viewing conditions, attempt to discern the galaxy’s faint, clumpy spiral arms, noting that its nucleus is asymmetrically positioned.
Tonight, the Moon will pass 2° south of Venus around 9 P.M. EDT, followed by a pass of 2° north of Saturn by midnight, both of which will be observable in the predawn sky the following morning.
Sunrise: 6:09 A.M.
Sunset: 7:48 P.M.
Moonrise: 4:23 A.M.
Moonset: 4:15 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (14%)
Friday, April 25
On the final day of the week, early risers can marvel at a slender crescent Moon positioned between Mercury and Venus in the pre-dawn sky.
Forty minutes prior to sunrise, Mercury will be visible 2° above the horizon in the east, now shining at magnitude 0.3 and entering a gibbous phase with 51 percent of its surface illuminated. Venus will appear much brighter at magnitude –4.8, located 12° to Mercury’s upper right. Between the two planets, the Moon shines 7° high, showing off an 8 percent lit crescent, often accompanied by earthshine, which occurs when sunlight reflects from Earth to illuminate the Moon’s darkened regions. Tonight, the Moon will pass 4° north of Mercury at 9 P.M. EDT.
Moreover, Saturn will be observable to the right of the Moon, although it may become challenging to spot as the sky brightens. Neptune, at magnitude 7.8, also lies close to the Moon but will likely require binoculars or a small telescope to see clearly.
Sunrise: 6:07 A.M.
Sunset: 7:49 P.M.
Moonrise: 4:47 A.M.
Moonset: 5:32 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (7%)
Source
www.astronomy.com