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Tuesday, April 13 – Asteroid Juno stands nonetheless close to star Mu Oph (midnight to daybreak)
On Tuesday, April 13, the principle belt asteroid designated (3) Juno will stop its common eastward movement throughout the distant stars of Ophiuchus and start a westward retrograde loop that can final till early August. On this evening, the faint, magnitude 10.eight asteroid will rise simply earlier than midnight after which stay seen till the pre-dawn whereas it crosses the sky lower than a finger’s width from the medium-bright star Mu Ophiuchi (μ Oph). Use that star to find and consider the asteroid in your telescope (inset).
Thursday, April 15 – Younger Moon and the Bull’s Eye (night)
Within the decrease third of the western sky after nightfall on Thursday, April 15, the crescent of the younger Moon will shine only a few finger widths to the suitable (or celestial north) of the brilliant, orange star Aldebaran, which marks the southerly eye of Taurus, the Bull. Use binoculars (crimson circle) to see the V-shaped group of dimmer stars within the Hyades Cluster. These stars, which kind the bull’s face, are sprinkled downwards and to the suitable (or celestial northwest) of Aldebaran. The bull’s northerly eye is marked by the medium-bright star Ain, or Epsilon Tauri, which can be positioned between Aldebaran and the Moon.
Friday, April 16 – Moon passes Mars (night)
Within the western sky after nightfall on Friday, April 16, the waxing crescent Moon can be positioned a palm’s width beneath (or six levels to the celestial west) of the reddish dot of Mars. The next night, the Moon’s orbital movement will shift it an analogous distance to Mars’ higher left. Within the interim, observers in most of central and jap Africa, the southern components of the Center East, India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and many of the Philippines can see the Moon cross in entrance of (or occult) Mars.
Saturday, April 17 – Moon close to Messier 35 (late night)
As soon as the sky has darkened after sundown on Saturday, April 17, prepare your binoculars (crimson circle) on the waxing crescent Moon and search for a dense clump of dim stars sitting simply to the Moon’s decrease left (or celestial south). That open star cluster in Gemini is called Messier 35 or the Shoe-Buckle Cluster. A curved line of shiny stars named Tejat, Propus, and 1 Geminorum, which kind Castor’s foot, may also help you discover Messier 35 on a subsequent moonless night.
Chris Vaughan is a science author, geophysicist, astronomer, planetary scientist and an “outreach RASCal.” He writes Astronomy Skylights, and you may observe him on Twitter at @astrogeoguy. He may also deliver his Digital Starlab transportable inflatable planetarium to your faculty or different daytime or night occasion. Contact him by means of AstroGeo.ca to tour the universe collectively.