One other month down, and we’re formally into April! With it, we’re welcoming brighter mornings and brighter evenings – thanks, daylight financial savings! We’re getting nearer to retiring the winter coats and swapping sizzling drinks for iced ones. Spring is right here!
Pink Moon
Picture Credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The ‘Pink Moon’ would be the full moon of April and it is possible for you to to see this on Sunday 12th at 8:22pm. The title ‘Pink Moon’ really comes from a pink wildflower that grows in spring, not as a result of the moon will really seem pink, sadly. I might like to stay in a world the place now we have a pink moon!
This 12 months’s Pink Moon may even be generally known as a micromoon, this implies the moon shall be at its farthest level from Earth. Subsequently the moon will seem smaller and dimmer – reverse to a supermoon.
Lyrids Meteor Bathe
The Lyrids Meteor Bathe happens in April yearly! The bathe occurs from the 16th – twenty fifth April, however the peak of the bathe occurs on twenty second April, the place you might doubtlessly see as much as 18 per hour. The Lyrid meteor bathe is related to long-period Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. It’s the oldest recorded meteor bathe nonetheless seen at this time, and was first recorded in 687 BCE.
Whereas the Lyrid meteors shall be seen all throughout the sky, following their path backwards they are going to seem to originate from the constellation of Lyra, the harp. In actuality the meteors don’t have anything to do with this distant group of stars. The path they seem to return from is dictated by the movement of the Earth and the particles itself.
Picture credit score for each: Stellarium/Lovisa Redpath
Constellations
Leo the Lion
Leo the Lion is among the best of the 13 zodiac indicators to see. To search for Leo within the sky, face south, search for the sickle (or a backwards query mark). That is the constellations asterism. An asterism is a recognisable sample of stars within the sky however it’s usually half of a bigger constellation. The brightest star present in Leo is Regulus, which might be discovered on the backside of the sickle.
Virgo The Maiden
You may also spot one other signal of the zodiac within the sky, the biggest zodiac, Virgo the Maiden. It takes the Solar 44 days to cross via Virgo, that is longer than some other Zodiac indicators, which is perhaps why now we have quite a lot of Virgos on the earth! To seek out Virgo within the sky, neatest thing to do is to search for the brightest star discovered throughout the constellation, Spica.
Picture credit score for each: Stellarium/Lovisa Redpath
That’s only a style of what April’s evening sky has to supply! Need to uncover extra? Come alongside to our 2pm present, ‘Our Night time Sky’, working Tuesday to Sunday every week.
(Psst… should you go to throughout time period time Tuesday – Friday, tickets are simply £5!)
