What Are the Lights in the Southwest Sky Again Tonight?

Find these visible planets in April 2022: Venus blazing in the east before sunrise; Mars and Saturn, also in the east before sunrise; Jupiter, emerging in the east before sunrise in early Apr and easier to see as the month progresses. Mercury will render to the evening heaven by mid-April, to brainstorm its all-time evening apparition for the twelvemonth for the Northern Hemisphere. Visible planets in depth below.

In this article:

• Night sky guide for Apr 2022
• Apr 2022: Planets in depth
• April-May 2022 heliocentric solar system
• Some resources to enjoy

Night sky guide for April 2022

Mornings of April four and v: Mars and Saturn conjunction

On Apr 4 and v, 2022, look low in the sunrise direction, maybe an hour before sunrise. Red Mars and golden Saturn volition look like next-door neighbors on the sky's dome. Annotation the difference in Saturn'southward position with respect to Mars from April 4 to April v. Their conjunction – when the two planets will have the same right ascension on our sky's dome – will come at 22 UTC on April 4. At that time, Mars will exist 0.3 degrees southward of Saturn. Illustration via John Jardine Goss.

Evenings of April 4 and v: Crescent moon past famous star clusters

On April 4 and 5, 2022 – in the evening heaven – the crescent moon visits 2 famous star clusters located in the direction of the constellation Taurus the Bull. The Hyades cluster is shaped like the letter V. Aldebaran, brightest star in the V, is non a true cluster member. The Pleiades star cluster – aka the Seven Sisters – is shaped like a tiny misty dipper of stars. Look westward later sunset for the moon and these beautiful clusters, which are about to leave the evening sky. Illustration via John Jardine Goss.

April 8 and 9 evenings: Castor and Pollux past the moon

The moon passes the bright stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini the Twins on April 8 and 9. The moon reaches its 1st-quarter stage on April 9. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

April 11 and 12 evenings: Regulus and the moon

On Apr 11 and 12, a waxing gibbous moon passes close to Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

By mid-April: 4 planets from the Northern Hemisphere

Some of y'all might have glimpsed Jupiter near the sunrise every bit early on as late March 2022. By mid-April, nosotros'll all run into Jupiter in the sunrise direction, about an hour earlier the sun comes up. You lot'll recognize it easily as the 2d-brightest planet, later on Venus. Hither is the placement of the 4 bright planets in the morning sky around mid-April, as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. The same iv planets are visible from the Southern Hemisphere, likewise. Run into the chart below.

By mid-April: iv planets from the Southern Hemisphere

Note the contrast between this chart and the one to a higher place. The same four planets – Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Venus – tin can be seen earlier sunrise, with Jupiter closest to the sunrise point. But it's autumn at present in the Southern Hemisphere. So the ecliptic, or sun's path, makes a steep angle to the morning horizon, placing the planets high above the sunrise.

April 15 and 16 evenings: Moon and Spica

If you lot're enjoying the full or nearly full moon on April 15 and 16, y'all'll probably find a brilliant star nearby. That star is Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

April 15 to 29, peaking on 22nd: Lyrid meteor shower

Lyrid meteors radiate from near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. You don't demand to identify Vega or Lyra in gild to watch the Lyrid meteor shower. But you exercise need to know when the radiant rises, in this case in the northeast earlier midnight. That's why the Lyrids are typically best between midnight and dawn, and why the terminal quarter moon will interfere with the shower in 2022. You'll come across the most meteors after the radiant has come over the horizon. The meteors radiate from there only will announced unexpectedly in whatever and all parts of the sky. Read more about April's Lyrid meteor shower.

April nineteen and twenty mornings: Moon and Antares

For those up early Apr 19 and 20, y'all may be asking, "What'due south that vivid star by the moon?" That cherry-red star is Antares in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. A waning gibbous moon is west of Antares on April 19 and east of the ruby-red star on Apr xx. Its phase will shrink a chip from one night to the next. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

Beginning around April 20: Mercury nears the Pleiades

Watch Mercury starting around April 20, when it'due south low in the west after sunset. You'll come across the closest planet to the sun steadily climb closer to the Pleiades star cluster every dark until April 29, when Mercury and the Pleiades are right next to each other. Their conjunction on our heaven's some comes at 19 UTC on April 29. So the star cluster and the planet are separated by i.4 degrees. On our nautical chart, Mercury follows the white line upward and gets dimmer (represented by the shrinking circle) as it nears the Pleiades. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

April 24 and 25 mornings: Crescent moon well-nigh Saturn and Mars

The waning crescent moon lies w of Saturn on the morning of April 24 and east of Saturn on Apr 25. On the 25th, it appears between Mars and Saturn. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

April 26 and 27 mornings: Crescent moon almost 3 planets

The thin waning crescent moon first passes Mars on the morning of April 26, and then hovers beneath Jupiter and Venus on the morning of April 27. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

In late April: Don't miss the Jupiter-Venus conjunction

Catch the 2 brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter – shut together effectually the stop of Apr and showtime of May 2022. The moon will join the scene on April 27. This chart also shows that Jupiter will exist on ane side of Venus on April 30 and the opposite side on May 1. That's because the 2 planets' conjunction – when they pass ane another in right ascension – comes at 19 UTC on April 30. At that time, Venus volition be 0.2 degrees south of Jupiter. Also, note ruddy Mars on the far right. Right at present, because it'due south still far ahead of us in orbit, Mars can't compete in brightness with Venus and Jupiter! Illustration via John Jardine Goss.

On April 30: A deep partial solar eclipse

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | The April 30, 2022, eclipse will exist a fractional, but deep, eclipse, similar to the eclipse shown in this photo. It's visible from the southeast Pacific and due south South America. Our friend James Trezza in Cedar Beach, Mount Sinai, New York, captured this photo of the partial solar eclipse on June x, 2021. He wrote: "Solar eclipse 2021! Nothing like perfect timing with a bird flying through the frame during the eclipse." Thank you, James, and aye! Read more than about the April 30, 2022 solar eclipse.

On the dark of May fifteen-16: A total eclipse of the moon

A total lunar eclipse sweeps across the Americas, Europe, and Africa during the night of May 15-xvi, 2022. The moon will enter Earth'south shadow at ten:28 p.m. EDT on May 15, becoming completely eclipsed about one hour afterwards. This total eclipse is primal, significant the moon's disk actually passes through the axis of World's umbral shadow. Considering they are so deep, such eclipses typically accept the longest total phases. In this case, the duration of totality lasts nearly an hour and a half: 84.9 minutes! Nautical chart by John Jardine Goss. Read more than about the May fifteen-15 total lunar eclipse.

April 2022: Planets in depth!

Venus and Jupiter

Venus dominates the morning eastern sky throughout April 2022. It'southward dazzlingly vivid in the sunrise direction each morning. Plus Venus will have a glorious conjunction with our sky's 2nd-brightest planet, Jupiter, before this calendar month ends. Jupiter is low on the eastern horizon every bit April begins: a challenge to spot. But it'll rise higher above the sunrise glare as the month progresses and by mid-month volition be located along a regularly spaced line of planets – with Venus, Saturn and Mars – in the eastern predawn sky.

Venus and Jupiter are the 2 brightest planets. The Venus-Jupiter conjunction will come at nineteen UTC on Apr xxx. Then Venus will be 0.2 degrees south of Jupiter.

Venus reached its greatest elongation – its farthest athwart distance from the sunrise – on March 20, 2022. Information technology's now slowly moving a little closer to the sunrise horizon each morning time. But Venus is so bright then beautiful. Y'all will enjoy it every bit the dazzling "morning time star" for many months to come.

Jupiter will spend the next several months of 2022 shifting from the morning to the evening sky. Its opposition – when it'south opposite the sunday from Earth – will come on September 26. Then it volition be rising in the east at sunset, as the sun sets in the west.

Saturn and Mars

Saturn and Mars both are much dimmer than Venus or Jupiter. In Apr 2022, Saturn appears a niggling brighter than Mars. Watch for a fascinating sight on the morning of April 4, and extending into the morning time of April v, when Mars slides 0.3 degrees south of Saturn on our heaven's dome. Their conjunction comes at 22 UTC on Apr 4. Annotation that Mars is the 2nd-smallest planet. Saturn is the 2d-largest planet. Saturn shines with a gold color. And Mars appears reddish; it'south called the Crimson Planet for a reason. From the longitude of India – on the day of their conjunction – Mars appears to slide direct underneath Saturn, barely missing it! No matter what geographical location you lot view from, utilize binoculars to bring out the colors of these intriguing worlds.

Also, go along in mind how nosotros interpret the view in Apr 2022: planets in iii-dimensional space projected onto a ii-dimensional dome. Even though they seem to be close in the sky, Venus, Saturn, and Mars are actually nowhere almost each other in space. Venus lies 72 million miles from Earth, and Mars is 95 million miles further out. Saturn orbits the sun just under ane billion miles from our world!

Like Jupiter, Mars is at present showtime a new cycle of visibility in our sky. Throughout 2022, it'll brighten and shift into our evening sky, as Earth draws upwardly backside Mars in our smaller, faster orbit effectually the sun. Globe and Mars will be closest on Dec 1. Our two worlds will exist most nearly on a line in space – bringing Mars to its in one case-in-2-years opposition – on the dark of December 7-viii.

Like Jupiter and Mars, Saturn is as well just starting time its wheel of visibility in Earth's sky. It'll come to opposition – ascension in the east at sunset, highest at midnight, setting at sunrise – on August 14.

Mercury

Mercury reaches superior conjunction – sweeping to the far side of the sun from Earth – on April 2. It will sally into the western sky later sunset past mid-calendar month, thereby condign the lone evening planet. Information technology'll be the start of Mercury's best evening apparition of this year, for us in the Northern Hemisphere.

Note that Mercury will exist well-nigh the famous Pleiades star cluster – aka the Vii Sisters – in April 2022. You'll probably first to notice Mercury about the Pleiades around April 20, and information technology'll steadily climb closer to the cluster every night until Apr 29, when Mercury and the Pleiades are right side by side to each other. Their conjunction on our sky'southward some comes at 19 UTC on April 29. And then the star cluster and the planet are separated by 1.4 degrees.

Mercury will as well appear farthest from the sunset at 8 UTC on April 29, 2022. This is Mercury'south greatest elongation, its greatest credible distance from the sun on our sky's dome. Read more than about Mercury's greatest elongation in April 2022.

Recent planet photos from EarthSky's customs

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Matthew Mentum captured Venus, Mars and Saturn on March 31, 2022, from Hong Kong. Thank you, Matthew!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Peter Lowenstein captured Venus, Mars and Saturn on March 30, 2022, from Mutare, Republic of zimbabwe. Y'all can apply Matthew's photo, above, to come across which is which. In this photograph, also notice Jupiter, which is the bright dot merely to a higher place the ridgeline, below and to the left of the waning crescent moon. Thank you, Peter!

April-June 2022 heliocentric solar system

The sun-centered charts below come from Guy Ottewell. Y'all'll find charts like these for every calendar month of 2022 in his Astronomical Agenda. Guy Ottwell explains:

In these views from ecliptic north, arrows (thinner when south of the ecliptic plane) are the paths of the 4 inner planets. Dots along the residual of the orbits are five days apart (and are black for the part of its class that a planet has trodden since the beginning of the twelvemonth). Semicircles prove the sunlit side of the new and total moon (vastly exaggerated in size and altitude). Pairs of lines point outward to the more remote planets. Phenomena such every bit perihelia (represented by ticks) and conjunctions (represented by lines betwixt planets) are at dates that can be plant in the Astronomical Calendar. Gray covers the half of the universe below the horizon around 10 p.yard. at mid- month (every bit seen from the equator). The zodiacal constellations are in directions from the Earth at mid-month (not from the sun).

View larger. | Heliocentric view of solar system, April 2022. Nautical chart via Guy Ottewell.

View larger. | Heliocentric view of solar system, May 2022. Chart via Guy Ottewell.

View larger. | Heliocentric view of solar organization, June 2022. Chart via Guy Ottewell.

Some resources to enjoy

Don't miss anything. Subscribe to daily emails from EarthSky. Information technology's free!

Visit EarthSky's Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location virtually yous.

Post your night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.

Interpret Universal Time (UTC) to your time.

Meet the indispensable Observer's Handbook, from the Purple Astronomical Order of Canada.

Visit Stellarium-Spider web.org for precise views from your location.

Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.

Back by popular demand! Guy Ottewell's Astronomical Calendar for 2022

Great resources and cute wall chart: Guy Ottewell'southward zodiac wavy chart

Guy Ottewell'southward Zodiac Wavy Chart is a 2-by-3 foot affiche displaying the movements of the lord's day, moon and planets throughout the year. You can purchase it here.

Bottom line: April 2022 is a month for seeing iv planets in the morning time sky. By mid-month, Jupiter and Venus – Saturn and Mars – volition be stretched out in a line in the eastern predawn sky. Meanwhile, the sun'due south innermost planet, Mercury, volition return in mid-Apr to begin its best evening bogeyman of the year for Northern Hemisphere skywatchers. Plus Mercury will appear near the famous Pleiades star cluster, aka the Vii Sisters. April planets – Apr dark sky – here.

Assist EarthSky keep going! Donate now.

John Jardine Goss

View Manufactures

Virtually the Writer:

"I can sometimes come across the moon in the daytime" was a catholic revelation that John Jardine Goss offset discovered through personal observations when he was six years erstwhile. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 20,000 members. He'south earned the title of Chief Observer and has authored the angelic observing guides Exploring the Starry Realm and Carpe Lunam. John too writes a monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and a bimonthly cavalcade, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Land magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League'south Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer's Handbook.

weatherlymuccommus.blogspot.com

Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury/

Share this post