What's to see in the night sky in April?

This chart represents the sky as it looks at around 10 PM local time. Some adjustment should be made for longitude, but it shouldn't be much. Right click on the chart, select "Save As" and save the image. You can then print this chart from a photo application, like Print Shop Pro, hold it in front of you with the direction you are facing at the bottom. Then, raise it above your head and you should be able to find your way around from there.

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ATTENTION! The All Arizona Messier Marathon will be held ????? at a site ?????. Contact me for details and directions. We'd love to see you there!

Moon phases

New-4/3_____First Quarter-4/11____Full-4/17____Last Quarter-4/24

Planets

Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn

Meteor showers

Lyrids peak on 4/21 at ~15/hr.

There are three comets visible in the east before sunrise this month, one of which could be challenging at best. Ikeya-Zhang, Snyder-Murakami and Utsunomia. Contact me for details.

Deep Sky Objects (DSO's)
Messier Objects

M81 & 82 are still there, M108-an edge on galaxy and M97-the Owl (planetary) Nebula are close together in Ursa Major, M109-another galaxy in Ursa Major. M40 is also in Ursa Major, but it's just a double star system of no real significance. Some may detect nebulosity near it, but I haven't seen it. M105, M95 and M96 are all within 1.5º of each other in Leo, (M96 held a supernova in 1998, just in time for the Grand Canyon Star Party) plus, M65 and M66 are also in the same field of view of each other. All the galaxies need a telescope to be seen.

Named DSO's

There's just a ton of galaxies in the region. The Leo group, the beginnings of the Virgo/Coma cluster etc. Check your charts.

Here's the link to SEDS as promised.