Keneth Angelini

The night sky tonight and on any clear night offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects you can see, from stars and constellations to bright planets, the moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers.

Observing the night sky can be done with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful, and a good telescope or binoculars will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view. You can also use astronomy accessories to make your observing easier, and use our Satellite Tracker page powered by N2YO.com

to find out when and how to see the International Space Station and other satellites. You can also capture the night sky by using any of the best cameras for astrophotography, along with a selection of the best lenses for astrophotography.

Read on to find out what's up in the night sky tonight (planets visible now, moon phases, observing highlights this month) plus other resources (skywatching terms, night sky observing tips and further reading)

Related: The brightest planets in April's night sky: How to see them (and when)

Monthly skywatching information is provided to Space.com by Chris Vaughan of Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu (opens in new tab) and Chris at @Astrogeoguy (opens in new tab).

Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo and would like to share them with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

At the end of March, Mars' eastward orbital motion carried it very close to the large and prominent open star cluster named Messier 35, NGC 2168, and the Shoe-Buckle Cluster. On Saturday night, Apr. 1, binoculars (orange circle) or a backyard telescope with a low magnification eyepiece will show Mars still shining just a thumb's width above (or 1.7 degrees to the celestial northeast of) the cluster's stars, which are sprinkled across an area the size of the moon. Gemini's western "feet" stars Tejat Posterior, Tejat Prior, and 1 Geminorum will shine nearby.

After dusk look for Mars and M35 high in the southwestern sky above the bright reddish stars Betelgeuse and Aldebaran — then lower as the hours pass. Mars will increase its distance from Messier 35 each night, but they'll share the view in binoculars until Apr. 8.

On Sunday, Apr. 2, the lunar terminator will have moved beyond the western rim of Mare Imbrium, the Sea of Rains. That dark, circular feature dominates the northwestern quadrant of the moon's Earth-facing hemisphere. The mare is the moon's largest impact basin, measuring more than 715 miles (1,145 km) in diameter. It was formed during the late heavy bombardment period approximately 3.94 billion years ago.

Binoculars and backyard telescope views of Mare Imbrium at this phase will reveal ejecta blankets around its major craters Aristillus, Autolycus, and Archimedes, the nearly-submerged ghost craters Cassini and Wallace, the isolated mountain ranges Recti, Teneriffe, and Spitzbergen, and an interior ring of subtle wrinkle ridges. The half-circle of Sinus Iridum, the Bay of Rainbows, interrupts Imbrium's western edge.

The lower part of the south and western sky on early April evenings is dominated by the three stars of the Winter Triangle. The prominent asterism, visible even while the bright moon is shining on Tuesday night, Apr. 4, is anchored on the bottom by the magnitude -1.45 star Sirius or Alpha Canis Majoris, the brightest star in the night sky. Above Sirius (to the celestial NNE) shines the white, magnitude 0.34 star Procyon or Alpha Canis Minoris. The third, northwestern vertex is occupied by the reddish, magnitude 0.50 star Betelgeuse or Alpha Orionis.

The Winter Triangle first appears in the late evening during November. By the end of April, it will be disappearing into the western post-sunset twilight.

The moon will officially reach its full phase at 12:34 a.m. EDT (04:34 GMT) on Thursday, Apr. 6. April's full moon, commonly called the Pink Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, or Fish Moon, always shines in or near the stars of Virgo or Libra.

The moon won't look pink — the name arises from the forest wildflowers blooming in April. The indigenous Ojibwe groups of the Great Lakes region call the April full moon Iskigamizige-giizis "the Maple Sap Boiling Moon" or Namebine-giizis, "the Sucker Moon". For them, it signifies a time to learn cleansing and healing ways. The Cree of North America call it Niskipisim, "the Goose Moon" — the time when the geese return with spring. For the Mi'kmaw people of Eastern Canada, this is Penatmuiku's, "the Birds Laying Eggs Time Moon". The Cherokee call it Kawonuhi, "the Flower Moon", when the plants bloom.

Full moons always rise in the east as the sun sets, and set in the west at sunrise. Easter is observed on the Sunday that follows the first full moon after the March equinox, making this the Paschal Full Moon for 2023.

The large and bright constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear is climbing toward the zenith after dusk in early April. Everyone is familiar with the Big Dipper asterism portion of that constellation. Another easily seen, but lesser-known pattern is the Three Leaps of the Gazelle, composed of three pairs of medium-bright stars strung in a line spanning nearly 30 degrees of the sky.

In each pair, the stars are separated by about a thumb's width (or 1.5 degrees). The most westerly stars Al Kaprah and Talitha, are found by extending a line drawn diagonally through the Big Dipper's bowl from Megrez to Merak, i.e., upwards towards Castor and Pollux. The central pair of Tania Borealis and Tania Australis shines midway between the bright stars Dubhe and Ras Elased Australis in Leo. The lowest (most easterly) duo named Alula Borealis and Alula Australis, are close to a line extended to the right (celestial south) from Dubhe through Merak. The word Alula arises from Arabic for "first leap", while Tania means "second", and Talitha means "third".

On Monday, Apr. 10 the orbital motion of the bright planet Venus will carry it near the bright Pleiades star cluster, also known as Messier 45 and the Seven Sisters. The planet and the cluster will share the view in binoculars (orange circle) from Apr. 7 to 14, but they'll appear closest together on Monday (Apr. 10) and Tuesday (Apr. 11).

While Venus will be easy to spot after in the western sky after sunset, the cluster's fainter stars will need the sky to darken a little more. The pretty, blue reflection nebulosity around the cluster's stars is only apparent in very large telescopes and long-exposure photographs. Venus passes directly through the Pleiades every eight years. The next instance of that will be on Apr. 3, 2028.

After the waning gibbous moon clears the treetops in the east around 1 a.m. local time on Monday morning, Apr. 10, it will be shining very close to the left (or celestial northeast) of bright reddish star Antares, the heart of Scorpius, the Scorpion. The duo will culminate about a third of the way up the southern sky at 4:15 a.m. local time and then start to descend westward by the time dawn arrives around 6 a.m. By then the moon will have slid a little farther from the star.

On Tuesday evening, Apr. 11, in the Americas the speedy planet Mercury will reach a maximum angle of 19.5 degrees from the sun — delivering maximum visibility for its current evening appearance. Mercury's position north of the steep evening ecliptic will make this 2023's best evening appearance of the planet for Northern Hemisphere observers.

The planet will be readily visible above the west-northwestern horizon after sunset, shining with a bright magnitude of -0.01 among the stars of central Aries. In a telescope (inset) the planet will exhibit a nearly half-illuminated phase and an apparent disk diameter of 7.7 arc-seconds. At mid-Northern latitudes, the optimal viewing time for Mercury will be the hour preceding 9 p.m. in your local time zone.

The moon will reach its third quarter phase on Thursday, Apr. 13 at 5:11 a.m. EDT (2:11 a.m. PDT and 09:11 GMT). Third-quarter moons rise around midnight in your local time zone and then linger into daylight in the southern sky during the morning.

At third, or last, quarter the moon is illuminated on its western side, towards the pre-dawn sun. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase will be ideal for observing deep sky targets in binoculars and telescopes, especially spring galaxies.

In the evenings during April, the Big Dipper is positioned high in the northeast. Under dark sky conditions, two impressive galaxies can be seen in binoculars and backyard telescopes by using the bright star Alkaid at the tip of the dipper's handle to find them.

The Pinwheel Galaxy, or Messier 101, is a spectacular, large, face-on spiral galaxy positioned a slim palm's width to the lower left (or 5.5 degrees north) of Alkaid, forming an equilateral triangle with Mizar, the double star at the bend of the dipper's handle.

This relatively close galaxy (21 million light-years away) is nearly as large as the full moon in the sky. Since the galaxy's light is spread over such a large area, its overall brightness is lowered. Aim your binoculars several finger-widths to the upper right (or 3.7 degrees to the southwest) of Alkaid to discover the iconic Whirlpool Galaxy, aka Messier 51. This spiral galaxy's angular size is smaller, but it will look somewhat brighter in your binoculars and telescope. A secondary galaxy core designated NGC 5195 close beside M51 is linked by a bridge of material.

Look a short distance above the southeastern horizon before dawn on Sunday, Apr. 16 to see the slender crescent of the old moon shining several finger widths below (or 4.7 degrees southeast of) the magnitude 1.0 dot of yellowish Saturn, allowing them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). The scene will make a nice widefield photo when composed with some interesting foreground scenery.

At 12:12 a.m. EDT (04:12 GMT) on Thursday, Apr. 20, the moon will officially reach its new moon phase. That converts to 9:12 p.m. PDT on April 19. While new, the moon is traversing the space between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight is only shining on the far side of a new moon, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun, our natural satellite becomes completely hidden from view for about a day — unless a solar eclipse occurs!

This new moon will generate a rare hybrid solar eclipse. The sun will be partially eclipsed for an area encompassing Australia, Indonesia, northern New Zealand, and much of the western Pacific Ocean. Observers on a very narrow track that crosses the Ningaloo Coast of Western Australia, Timor-Leste, and West Papua, Indonesia will see a brief total eclipse. Toward the extreme east and west ends of the umbral track, a thin annular eclipse will be seen instead. Use an app like Starry Night to determine your local circumstances, and always wear proper solar filters when viewing a solar eclipse in person. (Image: Apr20-2023 at 0412 GMT - New Moon and Hybrid Solar Eclipse.jpg)

As the sky begins to darken after sunset on Friday, Apr. 21, the slender crescent of the young moon will shine prettily in the west-northwestern sky. Watch for Earthshine on the moon. Sometimes called the Ashen Glow or the Old Moon in the New Moon's Arms, the phenomenon is visible within a day or two of the new moon when sunlight reflected off Earth and back toward the moon slightly brightens the unlit portion of the moon's Earth-facing hemisphere.

Sharp-eyed skywatchers may be able to spot the dot of magnitude 2.36 Mercury positioned a slim fist's width to the lower right (or 8 degrees to the celestial west) of the moon. The much fainter planet Uranus will be located several finger-widths to the left of Mercury — close enough for the two planets to share the field of view in binoculars (orange circle). Mercury and Uranus will set an hour before the moon.

The western sky after sunset on Saturday, Apr. 22 will host the spectacular sight of the young moon's delicate crescent posing between the brilliant planet Venus and the attractive Pleiades Star Cluster — making a terrific photo opportunity.

The bright orange star Aldebaran with the Hyades cluster forming Taurus' face will sparkle off to their left (or celestial south). Watch for Earthshine on the moon. Sometimes called the Ashen Glow or the Old Moon in the New Moon's Arms, the phenomenon is visible within a day or two of the new moon when sunlight reflected off Earth and back toward the moon slightly brightens the unlit portion of the moon's Earth-facing hemisphere.

The annual Lyrid meteor shower, derived from particles dropped by comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), runs from Apr. 16 to 29. It will peak in intensity at approximately 9 pm EDT on Saturday, Apr. 22, but more meteors will be seen once the shower's radiant point near the bright star Vega in Lyra climbs higher in the sky in the early hours of Sunday morning, Apr. 23. The Lyrids can produce up to 15-20 meteors per hour at the peak, with occasional fireballs. No moonlight will spoil the shower this year. For best results, try to view the meteors from a safe location that has a wide open sky free of light pollution.

In the western sky after sunset on Sunday, Apr. 23 the crescent moon will pose with Venus for a second night in a row. After 24 hours of motion, the moon will climb to sit a palm's width above (or celestial east of) extremely bright Venus. While the moon will be only 16% illuminated, Venus will display a 69%-lit gibbous phase when viewed in a telescope. That's because it will be a little bit farther from Earth than the sun. The pair will drop below the treetops towards midnight local time.

As the sky darkens after dusk on Tuesday, Apr. 26, the reddish dot of Mars will be visible several finger-widths to the left (or three degrees to the celestial south) of the waxing crescent moon. The duo will be cozy enough to share the field of view in binoculars (orange circle). Both solar system objects will be in central Gemini, surrounded by four of the brightest stars in that constellation: Castor and Pollux marking the twin's heads, and Wasat and Mebsuta marking their waists. The grouping will set in the west after midnight

High in the western sky on Wednesday evening, Apr. 26, the waxing gibbous moon will form a bent line with Gemini's brightest stars Pollux and Castor. The moon will shine binocular-close (orange circle) to Pollux, on that star's left (southern) side. Pollux's sibling, the bright double star Castor, will twinkle to their right. As the night wears on, the moon's eastward orbital motion will increase the length of their line — especially by the time all three set around 3 a.m. local time.

The moon will complete the first quarter of its orbit around Earth on Thursday, Apr. 27 at 5:20 p.m. EDT (2:20 p.m. PDT and 21:20 GMT). At first quarter, the relative positions of the Earth, sun, and moon cause us to see our natural satellite half-illuminated — on its eastern side. First quarter moons always rise around noon and set around midnight, allowing them to be seen in the afternoon daytime sky, too. The evenings surrounding first quarter are the best for viewing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight.

On Saturday night, Apr. 29, the moon's gibbous phase will favor a look at a trio of large craters located a short distance south of the moon's center. Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, and Arzachel are all large enough to see with binoculars and any size of telescope.

The northernmost crater Ptolemaeus (96 miles or 154 km wide) has been battered by later impacts that confirm its older age. The flat, almost featureless floor has been filled by lava flows, submerging its central peak and elevating its floor. Alphonsus (74 miles or 119 km wide) is older yet and partially filled, allowing its central peak to remain visible. Alphonsus contains a triangle of dark spots that are most prominent when the moon is full — ash deposits from long-ago volcanic venting. Relatively young Arzachel (60 miles or 96 km wide) has an unaltered floor and a terraced rim. A large number of north-south lineations surround the craters — carved by ejecta during the powerful Imbrium Basin impact event.

Related: Moon viewing guide: What to look for on the lunar surface

On Sunday evening, Apr. 30, the easterly orbital motion of the brilliant planet Venus will carry it between the two stars that mark the horns of Taurus, the Bull. While magnitude -4.17 Venus will pop out of the twilight soon after sunset, the sky will need to darken a little more before the horn stars appear. The right-hand, northern horn tip is marked by the bright star Elnath or Beta Tauri. That star, which also forms part of Auriga's ringlike shape, will be binoculars-close to Venus — on the planet's upper right. Once the sky gets dark, one-third as bright Zeta Tauri, Taurus' left-hand southern horn tip star, will twinkle less than a binoculars' field to Venus' left (celestial south-southeast).

At the beginning of April, Mercury will be entering the early stages of its best evening appearance of 2023 for Northern Hemisphere observers (though it will be a very poor one for those living south of the equator). Look for the speedy innermost planet's dot shining above the western horizon after sunset with your eyes or binoculars — but not until the sun has fully set. As Mercury climbs farther away from the sun it will linger long after sunset each day — eventually enough to shine in a dark sky among the stars of Aries. Mercury will stretch to 19 degrees east of the sun and maximum visibility on Apr. 11 and then begin to drop lower again.

The best viewing time then at mid-northern latitudes will fall between 8 and 9 p.m. local time. After starting the month at a relatively bright magnitude of -1.1, Mercury will steadily fade in apparent brightness. Viewed in a telescope during April, Mercury's illuminated phase will decrease from 76% to a thin crescent and its apparent disk size will swell dramatically from 6 to 10.7 arc-seconds. On Apr. 21, the young crescent moon will shine eight degrees to the upper left (or celestial east) of Mercury. On that same night Mercury will move to within four degrees of much fainter Uranus — but their conjunction will be very difficult to observe only 14 degrees from the sun. The planet will not be visible for the final week of April.

During April Venus will steadily widen its angle east of the sun in the western evening sky and brighten slightly in intensity from magnitude -4.0 to -4.2. After starting the month just 2.7 degrees above (or celestial east of) Uranus in Aries, it will cross into Taurus' stars on Apr 7. On Apr. 10-11 the bright planet will pass within three degrees to the left (celestial south) of the bright Pleiades star cluster, close enough for them to share the view in binoculars. Venus will end the month between the horn stars of the bull. Under magnification during April, Venus will exhibit an illuminated phase that wanes from 77% to 67% while its disk grows in size from 14 to 17 arc-seconds. The waxing crescent moon will climb past Mercury and Venus from Apr. 20 to 23, setting up a series of lovely photo opportunities.

Mars will shine about midway up the western sky after dusk throughout April. Over the month the red-tinted planet will fade in brightness from magnitude 0.98, similar to the nearby red star Aldebaran, to magnitude 1.33, which falls in the range between Castor and Pollux.

Mars will begin the month positioned just 1.7 degrees above (or celestial northeast of) the large Shoe-Buckle Cluster (or Messier 35) in Gemini. On each subsequent night, it will march east, passing close to the bright star Mebsuta (Epsilon Geminorum) on Apr. 14 and then ending the month near Wasat (Delta Geminorum). Telescope views of Mars in April will show a 90.5%-illuminated disk that shrinks in size from 6.4 to 5.4 arc-seconds. The waxing crescent moon will shine a few finger-widths to the right (or three degrees to the celestial south) of Mars on Apr. 25

Jupiter will not be visible during April. It will pass the sun on Apr. 11 and then enter the eastern pre-dawn sky during May.

Saturn will gradually become visible in the eastern pre-dawn sky during April. After the first week of April, the magnitude 1.0 ringed planet will start to rise early enough to shine among the stars of central Aquarius. By Apr. 30, Saturn will be rising 2.5 hours before the sun — but the highly tilted morning ecliptic will hold the planet too low in the sky for clear telescope views all month long. The slim crescent of the old moon will pose several finger widths below (or 4.6 degrees to the southeast of) Saturn on Apr. 16.

As April begins, Uranus will be located in the lower part of the western sky after dusk, a few degrees below (or celestial west of) far brighter Venus. The blue-green, magnitude 5.85 planet will rapidly descend sunward every day, submerging it in evening twilight after mid-month. On the nights surrounding Apr. 22 Mercury will move to within four degrees of much fainter Uranus — but their conjunction will be very difficult to observe as they will be located only 14 degrees from the sun.

Neptune will spend the month of April increasing its distance from the morning sun — from 16 degrees to 43 degrees — but the very tilted morning ecliptic will prevent the blue, magnitude 7.9 planet from breaking free of twilight until the very end of April. Even then, it will be too low in the sky for clear views while it moves slowly eastward through the stars of western Pisces.

Gibbous: Used to describe a planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated.

Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.

Degrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It's easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky, while a finger covers about one degree.

Visual Magnitude: This is the astronomer's scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.

Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.

Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.

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