Here you will find useful observing information about the visible planets,
our Moon and other moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial.
Among these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout.
Animated images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects,
or apparent and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular features include plotting the monthly positions of the
visible planets using heliocentric coordinates; following moon phases; conjunctions; the sun's apparent motion and the Earth's real
motion along the ecliptic.
Scroll down for more web site information, resources, and a link to the previous month issue.
Click on this link to read the Previous Issue of Qué tal? in the Current Skies
April Sky Calendar | ||||
01. Mercury at inferior conjunction
02. Mars near Saturn 03. Waning gibbous Moon near Jupiter 07. Waning gibbous Moon near Saturn and Mars 08. Last Quarter Moon Moon at Apogee 404,144 km 10. Moon at Descending Node 12. Yuri’s Night |
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16. New Moon
17. Saturn at aphelion Waxing crescent Moon near Venus 18. Uranus in solar conjunction Waxing crescent Moon near Aldebaran Saturn begins retrograde motion 19. Sun Does Enter the Astronomical Sign of Aries 20. Moon at Perigee - 368,714 km The Sun Does Not Enter the Astrological Sign of Taurus |
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22.First Quarter Moon
Earth Day Lyrid Meteor Shower Peak: ZHR = 20 Waxing gibbous Moon near Beehive Open Star Cluster 23. Moon at Ascending Node 24. Waxing gibbous Moon near Regulus Venus Near the Pleiades 29. Mercury at western elongation: 27°W 30. Full Moon Full Moon near Jupiter |
Name | April 06 | April 16 | April 26 | |
Mercury | 206o 43' | 236o 56' | 264o 35' | |
Venus | 066o 57' | 083o 04' | 099o 14' | |
Earth | 196o 08' | 205o 57' | 215o 43' | |
Mars | 240o 01' | 245o 16' | 250o 36' | |
Ceres | 146o 15' | 148o 40' | 151o 20' | |
Jupiter | 225o 49' | 226o 35' | 227o 21' | |
Saturn | 273o 22' | 273o 40' | 273o 58' | |
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