The Night Sky: April 2020
Here are some of the things to see in April:
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Night Sky Highlights: April 2019
Here are some of the things to see in the April sky:
Regulus
Regulus, also known as Alpha Leonis, is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and the 21st brightest star in the night sky. It has an apparent magnitude of 1.35 and lies at a distance of 79.3 light years, or 24.3 parsecs, from Earth. Alpha Leonis is not really a single star, but a multiple star … [Read more…]
Highlights of the Night Sky in April
Here are some of the things to see in April:
Bode’s Galaxy – Messier 81
Bode’s Galaxy, also known as Messier 81 (M81), is a grand design spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. M81 is one of the brightest galaxies seen from Earth. It has a near-perfect spiral shape, with prominent, well-defined spiral arms winding from the central region outwards. The galaxy is located approximately 11.8 million light years … [Read more…]
Polaris: The North Star
Polaris, also known as the North Star, Alpha Ursae Minoris or Star of Arcady, is the brightest star in Ursa Minor constellation. Polaris is notable for currently being the closest bright star to the North Celestial Pole. The pole marks true north, which makes the North Star important in navigation, as the star’s elevation above … [Read more…]
Messier 106 – NGC 4258
Messier 106 (M106) is a spiral galaxy located in the northern constellation Canes Venatici. The galaxy lies at a distance of 22 to 25 million light years from Earth. It has the designation NGC 4258 in the New General Catalogue.
Little Dipper
Little Dipper is a prominent asterism in the northern sky, formed by the brightest stars of Ursa Minor constellation. The asterism is often confused for the whole constellation, much like the Big Dipper is sometimes confused for Ursa Major, the Great Bear, but it is only the brightest part of the constellation.
Highlights of the April Sky
Here are some of the highlights of the night sky in April: 9 PM western sky – Jupiter hanging over the western horizon 9 PM eastern sky – Mars hanging over the eastern horizon, up throughout the night 11 PM southeastern sky – Saturn rising after sunset 11 PM eastern sky – on April 16, … [Read more…]
Big Dipper
The Big Dipper is one of the most easily recognizable asterisms in the night sky, found in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The Big Dipper is well-known in many cultures and goes by many names, among them the Plough, the Great Wagon, Saptarishi, and the Saucepan. The asterism is particularly prominent in the … [Read more…]