Moon to align with 4 planets before end of April
By
Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 20, 2022 8:27 AM EDT
|
Updated Apr 20, 2022 8:27 AM EDT
Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn will align through the last week of April, with the moon joining the formation near the end of the month.
Early risers waking up before the crack of dawn will be rewarded with great views of the planets through the end of the month, and the daily spectacle will be even more impressive at the start of next week.
Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn have lined up in the early morning sky and will continue to glow in a row throughout the rest of April. The quartet can be easily seen without a telescope in the eastern sky, and another celestial object will join the alignment early next week.
The crescent moon will appear near the four planets about an hour before sunrise on Monday, April 25, and Tuesday, April 26.
The two-day event means that folks can check the AccuWeather forecast to see which morning will have the better viewing conditions before waking up early to enjoy the sights in the eastern sky.
Planets not to scale. The rings of Saturn cannot be seen without a telescope.
A fifth planet will be hidden in plain sight near the bottom of the alignment, going unnoticed except for those with a little help.
Neptune will appear near Venus and Jupiter on April 25 and April 26; however, it will be difficult to spot as the planet is too dim to see without the help of a telescope.
People new to using a telescope will have some help finding the distant world as it will appear directly between Jupiter and Venus. Neptune will look like a small blue dot, seeing itself apart from the other planets and stars visible in this area of the sky before sunrise.
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The morning planets will be worth another look on April 30 and May 1 as Jupiter and Venus pass extremely close to each other.
Astronomers refer to this type of planetary meetup as a conjunction, and it will be the closest Jupiter and Venus have appeared in the night sky since Nov. 24, 2019.
Skywatchers should also keep an eye out for shooting stars as the annual Lyrid meteor shower will remain active until April 29. Hourly rates will not be as impressive as the 15 to 20 per hour expected on the night of Thursday, April 21, but a few meteors are still possible throughout the early morning when the planetary alignment is visible.
More Space and Astronomy:
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Astronomy
Moon to align with 4 planets before end of April
By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 20, 2022 8:27 AM EDT | Updated Apr 20, 2022 8:27 AM EDT
Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn will align through the last week of April, with the moon joining the formation near the end of the month.
Early risers waking up before the crack of dawn will be rewarded with great views of the planets through the end of the month, and the daily spectacle will be even more impressive at the start of next week.
Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn have lined up in the early morning sky and will continue to glow in a row throughout the rest of April. The quartet can be easily seen without a telescope in the eastern sky, and another celestial object will join the alignment early next week.
The crescent moon will appear near the four planets about an hour before sunrise on Monday, April 25, and Tuesday, April 26.
The two-day event means that folks can check the AccuWeather forecast to see which morning will have the better viewing conditions before waking up early to enjoy the sights in the eastern sky.
Planets not to scale. The rings of Saturn cannot be seen without a telescope.
A fifth planet will be hidden in plain sight near the bottom of the alignment, going unnoticed except for those with a little help.
Neptune will appear near Venus and Jupiter on April 25 and April 26; however, it will be difficult to spot as the planet is too dim to see without the help of a telescope.
People new to using a telescope will have some help finding the distant world as it will appear directly between Jupiter and Venus. Neptune will look like a small blue dot, seeing itself apart from the other planets and stars visible in this area of the sky before sunrise.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The morning planets will be worth another look on April 30 and May 1 as Jupiter and Venus pass extremely close to each other.
Astronomers refer to this type of planetary meetup as a conjunction, and it will be the closest Jupiter and Venus have appeared in the night sky since Nov. 24, 2019.
Skywatchers should also keep an eye out for shooting stars as the annual Lyrid meteor shower will remain active until April 29. Hourly rates will not be as impressive as the 15 to 20 per hour expected on the night of Thursday, April 21, but a few meteors are still possible throughout the early morning when the planetary alignment is visible.
More Space and Astronomy:
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Report a Typo