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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through the period ending April 30, 2021. Here are the events happening in the sky of southern California.

Copper-red Mars continues to recede from earth and shrinks slowly. On the 1^st it is 5.3 arcseconds in diameter, and on the 30^th it is 4.6 arcseconds. Only a large telescope will show features on such a small disk. For comparison, the Full Moon is generally 1,900 arcseconds wide. Mars starts the month two-thirds of the way up from the western horizon as soon as it’s dark and sets at 12:29 a.m. on the 1^st and at 11:53 p.m. on the 30^th.

Venus begins April close to the Sun and is unobservable. It starts showing up in the evening sky towards the end of the month. On the 30^th, Venus is between Mercury and the Sun and nine degrees from the latter. Never observe Venus when the sun is in the sky, for the danger to the eyes is great.

Jupiter rises in the east at 4:33 a.m. on the 1^st and at 2:53 a.m. on the 30^th.

Saturn rises in the east at 3:56 a.m. on the 1^st and at 2:07 a.m. on the 30^th.

Mercury starts April in the morning sky close to the sun and cannot be seen. On the 30^th, Mercury appears in the evening sky. It sets one hour and eight minutes after the sun and is separated from it by 13 degrees. Never observe Mercury when the sun is in the sky, for the danger to the eyes is great.

The Last Quarter Moon occurs on the 4^th. New Moon is on the 11^th. First Quarter is on the 19^th, and Full Moon is on the 26^th.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks around 4:00 a.m. on the 22^nd. The Lyrids are expected to produce around 20 meteors per hour with occasional fireballs, which are exceptionally bright meteors. Some will exhibit persistent trails. The shower is named for the constellation Lyra the Harp because the meteors appear to come from a point near those stars. Because Lyra is nearly overhead by 5:00 a.m., the shower should produce a decent show.

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