As of: April 2, 2024, 7:02 p.m
By: Tanja Banner
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The April sky is rich in fascinating phenomena: from a rare comet to shooting stars. But the planets are becoming rare.
Munich – In April the starry sky is poor in planets, but rich in shooting stars and a rare visitor: Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks appears. The change in the seasons becomes clear through the change in the constellations: While the winter constellations like Orion set early, Gemini and Leo dominate the sky. There you will also find the Big Dipper, which is just a small part of the larger constellation of the Ursa Major, which is particularly visible in April.
A striking orange-red star, Arcturus in the constellation Bear Guardian, can be spotted high in the southeast. At a distance of almost 37 light-years, this red giant is the brightest star in the northern sky. Although Sirius shines brighter, it officially belongs to the southern sky. In contrast, Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, is also visible in the southeast.
This binary star, located about 250 light-years from Earth, has a bluish glow and is one of the hottest stars in our night sky. The brighter star of the binary star system will one day end in a supernova explosion, just like Betelgeuse, the “shoulder star” of the constellation Orion.
Starry sky in April: Spring triangle shines in the sky
If you combine the bright stars Arcturus, Spica and Regulus in the constellation Leo, you get the Spring Triangle, which shines conspicuously in the sky. In the northeast you can already see the first signs of summer with the star Vega in the Lyra and Deneb in the constellation Swan. The small constellation Northern Crown (Corona Borealis) is also worth a look. It rises after dusk in the east, along with the constellation Hercules.
What can be seen in the starry sky? The monthly overview shows it. © imago/StockTrek Images
According to experts, something worth seeing will happen there in the coming months: A nova that appears about every 80 years will be visible there - it is the star T CrB, which is not normally visible to the naked eye, but can be seen for a few days shines brightly.
Rare guest in the sky in April: Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
In the first days of April you can still see a rare guest in the evening sky: Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks can be seen until around April 10th. “It has to be observed at twilight,” advises comet expert Uwe Pilz from the Association of Star Friends (VdS). From March 29th to April 2nd, the star Alpha Arietis (Hamal) helps locate the comet, after which it becomes a little more difficult to discover the celestial body.
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However, the search should be worth it: the tail of the comet can be seen in binoculars. With a bit of luck and good skies you can even see 12P/Pons-Brooks with the naked eye. After April 10th, however, it will be difficult to find the comet in the sky at all, because it will approach the sun and disappear behind the horizon before it is really dark. Only in 71 years will he return and appear in the sky.
Hardly any planets to be seen in April – Jupiter is also saying goodbye
When it comes to planetary visibility, April is a dry month. While some planets have been clearly visible in the night sky in recent months, that is now over. After the closest planet to the sun, Mercury, was observed in the evening in March, it is now invisible again. Venus has now also disappeared from the morning sky and will only be visible again as an evening star in August. The red planet Mars only appears in the east at the end of May.
Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, slowly says goodbye to the evening sky in April. At the beginning of the month it can still be seen in the sky low in the west after dusk - towards the end of the month it sets before the sky is dark enough. The ringed planet Saturn cannot be relied upon in April either: it can only be seen at dawn from the end of the month - but then remains visible in the sky until the end of December.
Shooting stars instead of planets: April is the month of the Lyrids
Instead of planets, April has shooting stars. The Lyrids are on the move from April 16th and reach their maximum on the morning of April 23rd. Then you can see up to 20 meteors streaking across the sky per hour. However, the moon disturbs the observations because it is already quite full and bright at this time. The full moon is on April 24th. From April 19th you can also see isolated shooting stars from the Eta Aquariids in the sky. However, this stream of shooting stars only reaches its maximum on the 5th/6th. May.
The celestial highlight of the year also takes place in April - but you won't see much of it outside of North America. On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will move in a narrow path over Canada, the USA and Mexico. “Sofi” could be particularly spectacular because the sun is currently at its peak of activity. With a bit of luck, observers in the United States may also see Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks in the daytime sky during totality.
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