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It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were all agog by all the bright planets — and even a couple of faint ones — parading together across the evening sky. Well, a lot has changed! The last planets standing, so to speak, are Jupiter and Mars. You’ll find Jupiter about halfway up in the west after sunset, still quite bright and distinctive.
Mars is still up there as well. You’ll find it closer to overhead. Nearby are the twins of Gemini: Pollux, not far from Mars, and slightly dimmer Castor, a bit farther away. In early April all three form a tight, easy-to-spot line in the sky, about as long as your clenched fist held at arm’s length. They’ll get a visit from the first-quarter Moon, just 2° above Mars, on April 5th.
Mars dances with Pollux and Castor
Mars dances with Pollux and Castor
You’d better highlight Friday, April 25th, on your calendar. Get up early that morning and find a nice spot with a clear view toward east about 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise. If the sky is clear, you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous grouping of three planets plus a slender crescent Moon. And which planets might those be? Listen to this month’s Sky Tour podcast to find out!
Now let’s track down some cosmic carnivores. High up and almost overhead around 9 o’clock is the distinctive constellation Leo, the Lion. He’s facing to the right, in the direction of Mars, with his head and mane forming a big backward question mark that’s a little bigger than your clenched fist. At the bottom of that pattern is Leo’s brightest star, Regulus, meaning “little king”.
Next, find the Big Dipper, high in the north. The Dipper is positioned with its bowl at upper left and its handle curving toward lower right. The Big Dipper isn’t a true constellation. It’s what astronomers call an asterism, an obvious group of stars. But the Big Dipper is part of a constellation, Ursa Major, Latin for the Big Bear. And the Little Dipper is in Ursa Minor, which means — you guessed it — the Little Bear.
If you think about it, bears come out of hibernation in spring, and so the Big Bear is now on the prowl high in the northeast. So is Leo, the Lion. And slithering up equally high in the southeast is long, winding Hydra, the Sea Serpent, a completely mythological creature that was quite carnivorous in Homer’s Odyssey.
Every month, Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour podcast helps thousands of loyal listeners enjoy “what’s up” in the starry sky and to introduce many more beginning skywatchers to the simple beauty of the night sky. No experience or equipment is needed — so grab this month’s episode, go out on a clear April evening, and get a guided tour of this month’s celestial highlights!
Read the full podcast transcript.