Cosmic highlights

A month of moonlight, meteors, and morning planets awaits skywatchers.

April’s night sky has had a dazzling start, with a glowing full moon and a brief appearance by Mercury. But there’s more to come.

New Moon: The Moon and the Sun will be on the same side of the Earth on April 17. With no moonlight, this will be the perfect time to observe faint objects like galaxies and star clusters.

Lyrids Meteor Shower: A moderate display, this shower produces around 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is caused by debris left behind by Comet Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. Active from April 16 to 25, the shower peaks this year on the night of April 22 and in the early hours of April 23. These meteors can sometimes leave glowing trails that linger for a few seconds. Since the Moon will set shortly after midnight, skies will be dark and ideal for viewing. For the best experience, find a dark spot after midnight. The meteors may appear anywhere in the sky, though they seem to originate from the constellation Lyra.

Comet C/2025 R3: April 27 will also see this comet reach its peak brightness and make its closest approach to Earth on April 27th, coming within 44 million miles of our planet. The comet will appear in the eastern sky, moving through the constellations of Pegasus and just above Pisces. In the Northern Hemisphere, it can be spotted in the predawn hours from mid- to late April, while observers in the Southern Hemisphere may catch it in the evening sky in early May.

Planetary parade: All month, Venus dominates the early evening sky in the west, while Jupiter dazzles and shines high above it after sunset. As the month progresses, yellowish Saturn begins to appear low on the eastern horizon just before dawn, joining reddish Mars, which will also be visible in the pre-dawn eastern sky throughout the month. Early in April, Mercury makes a brief appearance just above the eastern horizon before sunrise, adding to the planetary lineup.