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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the period between April 1 and April 30, 2024. Here are the events happening in the sky of southern California.
Mercury, on the 1st, sets in the west-northwest at 8:26 p.m., PDT, one hour 11 minutes after the sun, which sets at 7:15 p.m., PDT. The planet is 17-percent illuminated and 9.3 arcseconds wide. On the 8th, the sun sets at 7:20 p.m., PDT, and Mercury sets at 7:45 p.m., PDT, 25 minutes later. It is close to the sun and cannot be observed safely. On the 18th, Mercury rises in the east at 5:47 a.m., PDT, and the sun rises at 6:18 a.m., PDT, 31 minutes later. On the 30th, Mercury rises at 5:09 a.m., PDT, and the sun rises at 6:04 a.m., PDT, 55 minutes later. The planet is 24-percent illuminated and 9.8 arcseconds wide. Do not observe any planet when it comes close to the sun, for the danger to the eyes is great.
Venus is close to the sun in April and cannot be observed safely.
Mars moves from Aquarius the Water Bearer to Pisces the Fishes on the 23rd. On the 1st, Mars rises in the east-southeast at 5:15 a.m., PDT, and the sun rises at 6:40 a.m., PDT, one hour 25 minutes later. The planet is 95-percent illuminated and 4.6 arcseconds wide, too small for anything to be seen on its disk. On the 30th, Mars rises at 4:20 a.m., PDT. A telescope and a magnification of 150x will be needed to see the disk.
Jupiter sets on the 1st in the west-northwest at 9:59 p.m., PDT. The planet is 33 arcseconds wide. On the 30th, the sun sets at 7:37 p.m., PDT, and Jupiter sets at 8:37 p.m., PDT. A telescope capable of magnification 50x will show the Red Spot, and the four bright Galilean moons can be seen moving back and forth, across and behind Jupiter.
Saturn is in Aquarius the Water Bearer. On the 1st, Saturn rises in the east at 5:33 a.m., PDT. On the 30th, the planet rises at 3:47 a.m., PDT. Saturn is 16 arcseconds wide, and so a magnification of 50x is needed to see the rings and Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.
Uranus is in the constellation Aries the Ram. On the 1st, Uranus sets in the west-northwest at 10:16 p.m., PDT. On the 30th, Uranus sets at 8:30 p.m., PDT. On the 15th Uranus is at Right Ascension 3h 16m 35s with a declination of +17° 52ʹ 38ʺ. With a disk only 3.4 arcseconds wide, a magnification of 150x is needed.
Neptune is in the constellation Pisces the Fishes. On the 1st, Neptune rises in the east at 6:09 a.m., PDT, 31 minutes before the sun rises. On the 30th, Neptune rises at 4:17 a.m., PDT. On the 15th, Neptune is at Right Ascension 23h 56m 7s with a declination of -1° 45ʹ 20ʺ. A magnification of 150x is needed to see its 2.2-arcseconds-wide disk.
The last quarter moon occurs on the 1st, new moon on the 8th, first quarter on the 15th, and full moon on the 23rd.
SPECIAL EVENTS
The Lyrid meteor shower is active from the evening of April 15 to the morning of the 29th. The Lyrids are named after the constellation of Lyra the Harp, from which they appear to originate. The Lyrid meteors may have 20 meteors per hour at the peak, which will occur from the evening of the 21st to the morning of the 22nd. The Lyrids can produce occasional fireballs. The 96-percent-illuminated moon will interfere with observations.
A total solar eclipse will occur on April 8 along a narrow path stretching from México through Canada’s Maritimes. It will be a partial eclipse in the rest of North America. From Los Angeles, the event will be seen as a partial eclipse. The moon will first enter the sun’s disk at 10:06 a.m., PDT. The moon will cover 49-percent of the sun’s disk at 11:12 a.m., PDT. The moon will then slowly uncover the sun until it leaves the disk at 12:22 p.m., PDT. Never look at the sun without proper solar filters. Eclipse glasses and Solaramas for safe viewing of the sun are on sale at Griffith Observatory’s Stellar Emporium and Bookstore in the days before the eclipse. Please see the Observatory’s website for more details.
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