Astronomy Essentials

Visible planets and night sky guide for March and April

Only 11 days to eclipse day!

Today, we’re 11 days from the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The total solar eclipse features two stunning natural phenomena: Baily’s Beads and the diamond ring effect. Tune in to today’s YouTube video for more information on these incredible sights!

Read about the April 8 total solar eclipse

Watch the full Countdown to Eclipse series

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March 30 and 31 mornings: Moon near Antares

On the mornings of March 30 and 31, 2024, the waning gibbous moon will lie close to the bright star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion. In fact, at 15 UTC on March 30, 2024, skywatchers in parts of northeast Melanesia, Micronesia and most of Polynesia will see the moon pass in front of – or occult – Antares.

Chart by EarthSky.

March evenings: Look for Auriga the Charioteer

The bright star Capella is almost overhead this month. It’s the brightest light in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. To be sure you’ve found Capella, look for a little triangle of stars nearby. Capella is sometimes called the Goat Star, and the little triangle of stars is an asterism called The Kids. After finding Capella, you can trace out the rest of this pentagon-shaped group of stars. Read more about Capella and Auriga.

Chart by EarthSky.

March evenings: Look for Gemini the Twins

On March evenings, the constellation Gemini the Twins is high overhead on the sky’s dome. Look for the bright – and obvious – “twin” stars, Castor and Pollux. These two stars aren’t really twins. Pollux is brighter and more golden. Castor is slightly fainter and white. But both stars are bright, and they’re noticeable for being close together on the sky’s dome. You may need dark skies to locate the rest of the constellation. In March, the constellation is highest around 9 p.m. That’s your local time, no matter where you are on the globe. You can use binoculars to see a nice open star cluster listed on the chart below, M35.

Image via EarthSky.

March evenings: Look for the Winter Triangle

The Winter Triangle isn’t a constellation. It’s an asterism, made of three bright stars in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter sky (or the Southern Hemisphere’s summer sky). Procyon, Sirius and Betelgeuse are easy to find on winter and spring evenings. It’s also part of a larger asterism, the Winter Circle. And locating bright stars can help you find constellations. Sirius is in Canis Major, Procyon is in Canis Minor and Betelgeuse is in Orion the Hunter.

Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

April 1 morning: Moon near the Teapot

In the early morning hours of April 1, 2024, the almost last quarter moon will lie near the Teapot of Sagittarius the Archer. They’ll rise a couple of hours after midnight, so they’ll be visible through dawn.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 2: Last quarter moon

The instant of last quarter moon will fall at 3:15 UTC on April 2, 2024 (10:15 p.m. CDT on April 1). It’ll rise after midnight your local time and will set before noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

April 5 and 6 mornings: Moon near Mars and Saturn

In the morning twilight of April 5 and 6, 2024, the slender waning crescent moon will float near Mars and Saturn. On April 5, the lit portion of the moon will point toward the two planets. On the morning of April 6, the trio forms a small triangle low on the horizon. Binoculars might help locate them about 30 to 40 minutes before sunrise.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 7: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 18 UTC (1 p.m. CDT) on April 7, 2024, when it’s 222,979 miles (358,850 kilometers) away. High tides are possible.

April 8: New moon and total solar eclipse

The instant of new moon will fall at 18:21 UTC (1:21 p.m. CDT) on April 8, 2024. This new moon will completely cover the sun – from a small portion of the globe – during the much anticipated total eclipse of the sun. The April 8 eclipse will start at 15:42 UTC (11:42 a.m. EDT). This is also the 4th new supermoon of 2024 and the 4th of five new supermoons in a row. It’s 223,575 miles (359,810 kilometers) away from Earth. The new moon rises and sets with the sun. If you aren’t worn out from the daytime activities of the solar eclipse, that night is a perfect time for stargazing under dark skies.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

April 8: If you’re seeing the total eclipse …

At mid-eclipse, when the daylight sky turns dark, the beautiful glowing corona – the outermost atmosphere of the sun – will come into view. But there’s more to see … Look around for some planets in the now darkened sky. You’ll surely see brilliant Venus, the brightest planet. It’ll be easy to see near the eclipsed sun. Then, look at the opposite side of the sun from Venus. Bright Jupiter – the 2nd-brightest planet – should also stand out in the dark sky. Plus there are some fainter planets. Depending on your sky conditions – and your eyesight – you MIGHT see Mercury, Saturn and Mars. Last but not least, there’ll be a comet close to Jupiter! Comet Pons-Brooks MIGHT be visible to the eye alone. Or you might need binoculars to see it near Jupiter.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 9 and 10 evenings: Moon near Jupiter and the Pleiades

On the evenings of April 9 and 10, 2024, the thin waxing crescent moon will hang in the western twilight near the bright planet Jupiter. You will also see the tiny dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster, or Seven Sisters, nearby. The moon will lie especially close to the Pleiades on April 10. Do you notice a lovely glow on the unlit side of the moon? That’s earthshine! It’s reflected light from the Earth. They’ll set around 10 p.m. your local time.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 10 and 11 mornings: Mars and Saturn pair up

On the mornings of April 10 and 11, Mars and Saturn will lie low in the eastern morning twilight shining at around 1st magnitude. They will pass within about 1/2 degree – the width of the full moon – of each other on both mornings. Also, they make an interesting color contrast; Mars appears reddish and Saturn shines with a yellowish light. And while they appear close together on the sky’s dome, Saturn lies over 700 million miles (1.1 billion kilometers) farther out in the solar system than Mars does. Look for them about 40 minutes before sunrise. Binoculars will give you a better view of their close conjunction.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 11 evening: Moon near Jupiter and 2 star clusters

On the evening of April 11, 2024, the waxing crescent moon will glow above the bright planet Jupiter. The moon will also hang between two lovely star clusters, both located in Taurus the Bull. Look for the tiny dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster, or Seven Sisters, nearby. Then, on the opposite side of the moon, look for the fiery orange star Aldebaran, Eye of the Bull in Taurus. It’s part of a V-shaped group of stars – the Hyades – that forms the Bull’s face. The moon, Aldebaran, the Pleiades and the Hyades will cross the sky together and set near midnight.

Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

April 11: Mercury passes between Earth and the sun

Mercury will reach inferior conjunction on April 11, 2024, when it passes between Earth and the sun. It’ll be back in the morning sky in May.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 12 evening: Moon between Capella and Betelgeuse

On the evening of April 12, 2024, the waxing crescent moon will lie between two bright stars. The golden star is Capella in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. And in vivid contrast to golden Capella is the bright red supergiant star Betelgeuse, the brightest star in Orion the Hunter. You can follow them until around midnight.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 14 and 15 evenings: Moon near the twin stars of Gemini

On the evenings of April 14 and 15, 2024, the almost first quarter moon will shine near Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini. Although they are “twin brothers,” they don’t really look alike. Pollux is a bit brighter and a golden star, while Castor shines as a white light. They’ll rise before sunset and travel across the sky’s dome before setting a few hours after midnight.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 15: 1st quarter moon

The instant of 1st quarter moon will fall at 19:13 UTC on April 15, 2024 (2:13 p.m. CDT). A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for it high in the sky at sundown.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

April 17 and 18 evenings: Moon near Regulus

On the evenings of April 17 and 18, 2024, the waxing gibbous moon will float near the bright star Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. They’ll be visible until a few hours before sunrise.

Chart via EarthSky.

Moon at apogee April 20

The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 2 UTC on April 20, 2024 (9 p.m. CDT on April 19), when it’s 252,042 miles (405,623 kilometers) away.

April 22 evening: Moon near Spica

On the evening of April 22, 2024, the fat waxing gibbous moon will hang near the bright star Spica in Virgo the Maiden. They’ll rise before sunset and be visible until sunrise.

Chart via EarthSky.

April 23: Full moon near Spica

The full moon will glow brightly near the bright star Spica in Virgo the Maiden. Full moon occurs at 23:49 UTC (6:49 p.m. CDT) on April 23, 2024. It’ll be visible all night.

Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

April 26 and 27 mornings: Moon near Antares

On the mornings of April 26 and 27, 2024, the waning gibbous moon will lie close to the bright star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion. They’ll be visible from early morning until dawn. Also, skywatchers in Asia and Africa will see the moon pass in front of – or occult – Antares near 21 UTC on April 26.

Chart via EarthSky.

The Big Dipper and Leo the Lion

April is a great time to look up overhead in the evening sky and find the well-known pattern of stars we call the Big Dipper. It’s an asterism – or obvious pattern of stars – and part of the constellation Ursa Major the Great Bear. Also, you can find the constellation Leo the Lion. Leo has another well-known asterism known as the Sickle. The Sickle looks like a backward question mark that is punctuated by the bright star Regulus. In fact, the Big Dipper can help you locate Leo and the Sickle. An imaginary line drawn southward from the pointer stars in the Big Dipper – the two outer stars in the Dipper’s bowl – points toward Leo the Lion.

Chart via EarthSky.

The Big Dipper and Polaris

Plus, the Big Dipper can direct you to find Polaris, the North Pole Star. The two outer stars in the bowl of the Dipper point to Polaris. It’s at the end of the handle of Ursa Minor the Little Bear, commonly known as the Little Dipper. Look for the Big and Little Dippers high in the northern sky on spring evenings. This view is for the Northern Hemisphere.

Chart via EarthSky.

Cancer the Crab

Cancer the Crab, with its Beehive star cluster, needs a dark sky to be seen. It lies between the Gemini twin stars Castor and Pollux, and the bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion.

Once you’ve found Cancer – if your sky is dark – you can see the wonderful open star cluster called the Beehive. It contains some 1,000 stars.

Chart via EarthSky.

Have fun exploring the sky!

Visible planets in March 2024

Early March mornings: Venus and Mars

The brightest planet is Venus, and at the beginning of March it will be low in the morning twilight descending more each day. At the same time, Mars climbs slowly higher each day but will remain challenging to spot in the morning twilight. It’ll be fun to watch them grow apart. Venus will disappear before mid-month. When is the last day you catch Venus in the sky? Once Venus slips away, it won’t be visible again until it pops up in the evening sky in August. Also, a thin waning crescent moon will visit Venus and Mars on the mornings of March 7 and 8, 2024. The pair will be easiest to spot in binoculars.

Here’s a binocular view of Venus and Mars as they move away from each other at the beginning of March.

Chart by EarthSky.

Mid-March mornings: Mars

Mars will become easier to identify in the morning twilight, rising about an hour before sunrise. Although you probably won’t see them in the morning twilight, Mars will lie in front of the constellation of Capricornus the Sea-goat and will move into Aquarius the Water Bearer near the end of the month. Mars remains a morning object through all of 2024.

Chart by EarthSky.

March evenings: Jupiter

Bright Jupiter is easy to spot in the March 2024 evening sky. However, it is losing altitude and brightness as it descends closer to the sun. It will set about five hours after the sun at the beginning of the month, and about three hours after sunset by month’s end. It will shine near the pretty Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Jupiter reached opposition overnight on November 2-3, 2023, when we flew between it and the sun. So, as Jupiter recedes from Earth, it’ll fade a bit in our sky. It will reach opposition again on December 7, 2024, so it’ll be at its brightest for the year around then. It will lie in the dim constellation Aries the Ram, and it’ll shine at -2.1 magnitude by month’s end. The waxing crescent moon will float by Jupiter on March 13, 2024.

Chart by EarthSky.

March evenings: Mercury

The bright but elusive planet Mercury emerges during the second week of the month and quickly rises to prominence after sunset. This will be Mercury’s best evening apparition for the Northern Hemisphere in 2024. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the sun on the evening of March 24. And then, it’ll fade quickly and be gone by the end of the month. Bright Jupiter will be higher in the sky.

Chart by EarthSky.

Where’s Saturn?

You probably won’t see Saturn this month.

Visible planets in April 2024

April evenings: Jupiter

Jupiter appears low in the west shortly after sunset in the first three weeks of April. During the month’s final week, it lies too low in the bright evening twilight to be easily seen. At the beginning of the month, Jupiter sets about three hours after sunset. At month’s end, Jupiter lies low in the evening twilight and may be challenging to spot. Jupiter will lie near the delicate Pleiades star cluster.

Chart via EarthSky.

April mornings: Mars and Saturn

Mars and Saturn lie low in the morning twilight in April 2024. They shine with similar brightness and have a close pairing on the mornings of April 10 and 11. Saturn will climb a bit higher as the month goes on, and Mars will not move as much on the sky’s dome. By month’s end, Saturn will rise about two hours before sunrise and Mars will follow it about an hour later. Both planets will be easier to find in the coming months as they climb out of the morning glare.

Chart via EarthSky.

Where’s Venus and Mercury?

Venus is too close to the sun to be visible this month, and it’ll emerge in the evening sky around the beginning of August. Mercury will disappear from the bright evening twilight at the beginning of April and return to the morning sky in May.

Thank you to all who submit images to EarthSky Community Photos! View community photos here. We love you all. Submit your photo here.

Looking for a dark sky? Check out EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze.

Sky dome maps for visible planets and night sky

The sky dome maps come from master astronomy chart-maker Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.

Guy Ottewell explains sky dome maps

Here is the sky dome view for March 2024. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.
Here is the sky dome view for April 2024. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar.

Heliocentric solar system visible planets and more

The sun-centered charts come from Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.

Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts.

Heliocentric view of solar system, March 2024. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.
Heliocentric view of solar system, April 2024. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Some resources to enjoy

For more videos of great night sky events, visit EarthSky’s YouTube page.

Watch EarthSky’s video about Two Great Solar Eclipses Coming Up

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to daily emails from EarthSky. It’s free!

Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location near you.

Post your own night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.

Translate Universal Time (UTC) to your time.

See the indispensable Observer’s Handbook, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Visit Stellarium-Web.org for precise views from your location.

Almanac: Bright visible planets (rise and set times for your location).

Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.

Attention amateur astronomers! Guy Ottewell’s popular and informative Astronomical Calendar for 2024 is available in both electronic and printed versions.

Bottom line: Only 11 days till the total solar eclipse! The total solar eclipse features two stunning natural phenomena: Baily’s Beads and the diamond ring effect. Tune in to today’s YouTube video for more information on these incredible sights!

Posted 
March 28, 2024
 in 
Astronomy Essentials

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