Stars and Constellations
In April, the spring sky is now prominent in the east, along with the familiar Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is high in the northeast, and the two stars at the end of the bowl can be used to find Polaris, our north star. Also, the handle can be used to "arc to Arcturus", a bright star in the constellation Boötes. Next, Leo the lion is very high in the east, approaching the middle of the sky now, with the constellation Virgo just below. The winter constellations are also visible, now in the west. Taurus the bull is getting lower in the west, near Orion the hunter to the west-southwest. Canis Major (the big dog), along with the bright star Sirius, is also getting low in the southwest. Gemini the twins is a little higher in the west, along with Auriga the charioteer in the west-northwest and Canis Minor (the little dog) in the southwest. The winter Milky Way is now getting lower in the west as well. Far to the south we can see some constellations making up part of Jason's Argo Navis, which we only get to see briefly since it is so far south. Finally, there is still a small portion of the fall sky still visible just for the first hour or so of the night. Cassiopeia the queen is in the north-northwest, and Perseus the hero is in the northwest.
In May, the winter constellations are lower in the west, and Orion, Taurus, and Canis Major are already in the process of setting at the beginning of the night, along with Cassiopeia and Perseus to the northwest. The spring constellations are higher now, and we can see the rest that weren't up this time last month. Hercules is below Boötes in the east-northeast. Some of the summer constellations are also getting ready to come up and will be visible a few hours after sunset.
Interesting Stars Visible in April and May (from 7-10 pm)
| Name / Designation | Apparent Magnitude (lower = brighter) | Distance (light-years) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sirius | -1.44 | 8.6 | |
| Arcturus | -0.05 | 36.7 | |
| Vega | 0.03 | 25 | |
| Capella | 0.08 | 42 | |
| Rigel | 0.18 | 770 | |
| Procyon | 0.4 | 11 | |
| Betelgeuse | 0.45 | 427 | |
| Aldebaran | 0.87 | 65 | |
| Spica | 0.98 | 262 | |
| Pollux | 1.16 | 38 | |
| Regulus | 1.36 | 77 | means "Little King" |
| Castor | 1.58 | 52 | |
| Polaris | 1.97 | 431 | |
| Algol | 2.09 | 93 | variable star |
| Denebola | 2.14 | 36.2 | |
| Almak | 2.1 / 5.0 & 6.3 | 355 | triple star system w/ 64 yr orbit |
| Albireo | 3.2 / 5.8 & 5.1 | 390 / 380 | possibly a triple star system |
| Eta Cassiopeiae | 3.5 / 7.4 | 19 | 480 yr orbit |
Solar System
Mercury is visible in the morning sky for most of April, but it passes behind the Sun in mid-May and will become visible in the evening sky by the end of the month.
Venus is steadily rising in the western sky after sunset.
Mars emerges in the eastern sky before sunrise near the end of April, slowly rising higher each night.
Jupiter begins April high in the west, but it is quickly descending until it is near the horizon by the end of May. It is in the constellation Gemini.
Saturn appears in the morning sky in late April just before sunrise, and gets a little higher each morning through May. It is in the constellation Pisces.
Jupiter Great Red Spot Transits in April and May (from 7-10 pm)
Note: The GRS is visible on the disk of Jupiter for 50 minutes before and after meridian transit time.
| DATE | MERIDIAN TRANSIT TIME |
|---|---|
| 04/05/26 | 08:18 PM |
| 04/07/26 | 09:57 PM |
| 04/10/26 | 07:28 PM |
| 04/12/26 | 09:07 PM |
| 04/17/26 | 08:16 PM |
| 04/19/26 | 09:55 PM |
| 04/22/26 | 07:26 PM |
| 04/24/26 | 09:05 PM |
| 04/29/26 | 08:15 PM |
| 05/01/26 | 09:54 PM |
| 05/04/26 | 07:25 PM |
| 05/06/26 | 09:04 PM |
| 05/11/26 | 08:14 PM |
| 05/13/26 | 09:53 PM |
| 05/16/26 | 07:24 PM |
| 05/18/26 | 09:03 PM |
| 05/23/26 | 08:13 PM |
| 05/25/26 | 09:53 PM |
| 05/28/26 | 07:23 PM |
| 05/30/26 | 09:03 PM |
Calendar of Night Sky Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 04/01/26 | Full Moon. |
| 04/03/26 | Mercury at greatest western elongation. — Visible in the morning sky. |
| 04/09/26 | Last Quarter Moon. |
| 04/12/26 | Appulse of Mars and Neptune — Separated by 0.3°. |
| 04/16/26 | Appulse of Mercury and Neptune — Separated by 1.3°. |
| 04/17/26 | New Moon. |
| 04/19/26 | Appulse of Mars and Saturn — Separated by 1.2°. |
| 04/20/26 | Appulse of Mercury and Saturn — Separated by 0.5°. |
| 04/20/26 | Appulse of Mercury and Mars — Separated by 1.6°. |
| 04/22/26 | Peak of Lyrids meteor shower. — Click here for more info! |
| 04/23/26 | Appulse of Venus and Uranus — Separated by 0.8°. |
| 04/23/26 | First Quarter Moon. |
| 05/01/26 | Full Moon. |
| 05/05/26 | Peak of Eta Aquariids meteor shower. |
| 05/09/26 | Last Quarter Moon. |
| 05/14/26 | Mercury at superior conjunction and occultation. — Passing directly behind the Sun. |
| 05/16/26 | New Moon. |
| 05/17/26 | Appulse of Mercury and Uranus — Separated by 0.9°. |
| 05/22/26 | Uranus at conjunction and occultation. — Passing directly behind the Sun. |
| 05/23/26 | First Quarter Moon. |
| 05/31/26 | Full Moon. |
Deep Sky
The winter Milky Way is now getting low in the west, but there are still several interesting objects we can see here. The Pleiades (Seven Sisters, M45) is close to the west-northwest horizon right next to the Hyades (C41), which makes the face of Taurus the bull. The constellation Auriga is a little bit higher, where we can see M36, M37, and M38, which are visible with binoculars. The Double Cluster (C14) in Perseus is low in the north-northwest. Higher in the sky we have the Beehive (Praesepe, M44) in Cancer the crab and Coma Berenices (Bernice's Hair) near the tail of Leo.
We are now beginning to see some globular clusters coming up in the east. M3 is towards the east, in the constellation Boötes. Nearby, the famous Hercules Globular (M13) is low to the east-northeast.
For nebulae, we have the spectacular Orion Nebula (M42) now now getting low to the west-southwest. This is the closest star-forming region to our solar system. We also have some good planetary nebulae, which come from dying stars. The Eskimo (C39) in Gemini is high in the west, the Owl (M97) in Ursa Major is high in the northeast, and the Ghost of Jupiter (C59) is to the south in the constellation Hydra.
And now the galaxies: In Ursa Major to the north we have Bode's Galaxy (M81) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82), close enough to be seen together in a low-power telescope. Nearby in the constellation Canes Venatici we have the Whirlpool (M51), which is a pair of colliding galaxies. The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is also nearby near the handle of the Big Dipper. Then the Sombrero Galaxy (M104) is in the southeast in the constellation Virgo.
Interesting Deep Sky Objects to Observe during April and May (from 7-10 pm)
| Designation | Name | Apparent Magnitude | Apparent Size | Distance (light-years) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messier 45 | Pleiades | 1.6 | 110' | 440 | open cluster |
| Messier 44 | Beehive Cluster | 3.7 | 95' | 577 | open cluster |
| Messier 42 | Orion Nebula | 4 | 85' x 60' | 1400-1600 | diffuse nebula |
| Messier 3 | (in Canes Venatici) | 6.2 | 18' | 34,000 | globular cluster |
| Messier 81 | Bode's Galaxy | 8.5 | 21' | 1,200,000 | spiral galaxy |
| NGC 3242 | Ghost of Jupiter | 8.6 | 25" | 1400 | planetary nebula |
| Messier 57 | Ring Nebula | 8.8 | 1' | 2,300 | planetary nebula |
| Messier 82 | Cigar Galaxy | 9.5 | 14' | 1,200,000 | galaxy |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an appulse?
You may notice several appulses in the calendar above. It simply means when two objects appear close together from our perspective. The term conjunction is used more commonly, but it has a slightly different meaning.
Conjunction means that the two objects share either the same right ascension or the same ecliptic longitude. (These are coordinate systems used to plot where objects appear in the sky.) Planets move more or less east and west, so conjunctions typically happen near appulses. But the planets all have a few degrees of inclination relative to each other, so there is always a small north/south component to their motion as well. Thus appulses and conjunctions generally occur a few hours apart.
Conjunctions are easier to calculate, which I believe is why that term appears more often in astronomical publications. But at least to me, appulses are the more visually interesting event.
One last thing to note is that it is possible to have an appulse without a conjunction. The planets all go through periods of retrograde motion, meaning that they switch directions from our perspective. So occasionally they come close together without actually passing each other. This happens most often with Mercury because it changes direction several times per year.
If you have any questions you'd like me to answer in the next issue of SWG, please let me know. I'm also happy to take suggestions or comments, and also pictures if you'd like to send them. Happy viewing!
Date of publication: 2026