Wondering what you can see in the sky at night this week?This week holds a special treat for all you stargazers out there, and even for those of us who are first timers!
All month long you’ll be able to go out and spot several planets before sunrise:
Jupiter (SW)
Mars (S)
Mercury (S)
Neptune (E)
Saturn (E)
Currently, the most prominent zodiac sign for this month is Leo the Lion and the faintest zodiac is Cancer the Crab. However, Cancer is still visible to the more experienced gazers out there! Capricornus, Libra, Sagittarius and Scorpius will also be visible from the zodiac family. By the way, if you are looking for Mars and Saturn you can find them in and around Sagittarius, depending on what time you start gazing. So, what you can see in the sky at night this week besides those? Keep reading.
Events for the Week:
1. April 22nd-23rd Peak of the Lyrids Meteor Shower
The shower runs from April 16th to the 25th, but will peak on the evening of the 22nd through the morning of the 23rd. Happy Earth Day to us!
The Lyrids usually produce ten to twenty meteors an hour, making them only an average meteor shower. Although, some years they have produced a profound several hundred meteors an hour! However, what truly makes these meteors a sight to see is the bright dust trails they leave behind which are visible for several seconds after each passing. This is something you won’t want to miss! Meteors can be found anywhere in the night sky, but the Lyrids radiate from Vega in Lyra (constellation).
During the peak, our moon will be in its first quarter and will be setting shortly after midnight. Which is good news for us because it means the night sky will be dark and optimal for viewing the meteor shower!
2. April 24th Peak of Venus
While Venus can be seen any night this month after sunset, April 24th it will be at its brightest and best viewpoint. You’ll need to wait at least one hour after sunset and you can find Venus in our Western sky just SE of the Pleiades star cluster.
