These Are the Largest Sky-Watching Events in April
Like the first few months of the year, April is a relatively quiet month for sky watching, but it brings one of the oldest meteor showers and a micromoon.
April 13: Pink Moon
The April full moon is known as the Pink Moon, named after the color of the ground phlox, a wildflower that blooms during the month, although the moon itself does not actually appear pink in the sky. The Pink Moon is also a micromoon, meaning it occurs at its farthest point from Earth. Unlike a supermoon, it will appear to be about 5% smaller in diameter than normal.
April 21: Peak of the Lyrid meteor shower.
The main event of April is the Lyrid meteor shower . It begins mid-month (around April 17) and will peak late on April 21 and early morning on April 22. The Lyrids are the result of debris from Comet Thatcher, which was first observed in 1861. Typically, viewers can expect to see about 18 meteors per hour, although the shower could bring up to 100 meteors, according to NASA .
This year the Moon will be about 40% occupied , which could hinder visibility. The Lyrids are best seen in the Northern Hemisphere after moonset but before dawn, and as always, areas with minimal light pollution are best for viewing.
Planetary events in April
Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will be visible in the evening sky in April; Saturn, Mercury, Venus and Neptune will appear in the morning. The times and locations differ slightly in the northern and southern hemispheres. According to Starwalk, the best Mercury viewing of the year will be possible on April 21, especially for those in the southern hemisphere.
And on April 25, the crescent moon will align with Venus and Saturn shortly before sunrise, forming a triangle that looks like a smile .