What’s up in the night sky: April 2024

Welcome to our night sky monthly feature where we focus on easy and fun things to see in the night sky, mostly with just your eyes. This month: The awesome total solar eclipse in North America, Mars and Saturn snuggling, and a meteor shower.

All month: Very bright Jupiter stands out in the evening western sky. It is brighter in the sky than any nighttime stars. It drops toward the horizon as the weeks pass.

All month: Yellowish Saturn starts the month very low in the pre-dawn east below similarly bright, reddish Mars. Saturn climbs higher throughout the month, passing close by Mars on April 10. 

All month: Reddish Mars is in the pre-dawn east, getting higher as the weeks pass.

April 8: Total solar eclipse! The path of totality goes across Mexico, starting at Mazatlán, and continues through the central and northeastern U.S. and up to northeastern Canada. During totality, Venus and Jupiter will likely be visible. Most of North America will be able to see a partial solar eclipse. For maps, details, viewing tips, safety tips, and more, see our eclipse web pages.

April 8: New Moon. Solar eclipses only happen during a New Moon.

April 10: In the pre-dawn east, reddish Mars and the similarly bright, yellowish Saturn are very near each other, about the width of a Full Moon apart; however, they may be hard to view, being very low to the horizon.

April 10: The crescent Moon is near very bright Jupiter in the early evening west.

April 21, 22: Lyrids meteor shower peaks. The Lyrids is an average meteor shower, with about 20 meteors per hour at its peak seen from a dark site. A Full Moon will challenge observations, washing out most fainter meteors. The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. This meteor shower is best seen from the northern hemisphere, although some activity can be seen from the southern hemisphere. Though the peak is on the night of Apr. 21 through 22, there are still significantly increased meteors the night before and after, and to a lesser extent for a few days before and after.

April 23: Full Moon.