EarthSky News - Apr 1 - April Planets

April 1 April Planets by:

April guide to the bright planets All 5 bright planets appear in the April night sky: Mercury and Mars at dusk, Jupiter all night long, Saturn from midnight until dawn and Venus before sunrise. Our once-a-year fundraiser is happening now.  We're a quarter of the way to our goal. Help EarthSky stay an independent voice. Thank you to all who've donated! See Mercury after sunset in early April For northerly latitudes, we're now in the middle of Mercury's best showing in the evening sky for 2017. The Southern Hemisphere will have a great Mercury showing in the morning sky in May. April birthstone is the diamond Happy birthday April babies! Your birthstone, the diamond, is the rich cousin of graphite. Star of the week: Mimosa in the Southern Cross To glimpse Mimosa, you need to be at the latitude of New Orleans, Cairo or New Delhi. From the southern hemisphere, Mimosa is a prominent and beloved star.

Order your EarthSky Planisphere today! A planisphere is virtually indispensable for beginning stargazers. Your support means the world to us.

Seahorse aurora Seeing a seahorse shape in the shifting light of an aurora is an example of "pareidolia." Juan Carlos Casado captured this photo in Finland on March 28, 2017.

See Mercury after sunset in early April Best from the Northern Hemisphere, but Southern Hemisphere stargazers might catch Mercury, too. Binoculars will come in handy. Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

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