What’s up in Tonight’s Sky
April 2024
HERE’S WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS MONTH
All descriptions below are for mid-northern latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. EST is Eastern Standard Time in North America. EDT is Eastern Daylight Time in North America.
Happy Stargazing!
Quick Links
This Month’s Videos
Constellations in the Sky this month
The Moon in April
April Evening Star Map
April Morning Star Map
How to start Observing the Sky
THIS MONTH’S VIDEOS
Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – April 2024
Go to Full Screen for best viewing.
NASA JPL’s What’s Up: April 2024
Go to Full Screen for best viewing.
For more about the giant planet Jupiter in the evening sky this month visit:
Spot the King of Planets: Observe Jupiter
CONSTELLATIONS IN THE SKY THIS MONTH
To dig deeper into the April evening sky check out the video below from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Go to Full Screen for best viewing.
To do more constellation hunting visit these pages and have some fun!
Hunting the Hunter: Observing Orion
Hang Out with the Twins of Gemini
Constant Companions: Circumpolar Constellations
THE MOON THIS MONTH
Last Quarter Moon rises in the middle of the night, is visible in the early morning sky before sunrise, and sets around mid-day.
New Moon is not visible as it is near the Sun in the sky.
First Quarter Moon rises mid-day, is visible in the early evening sky, and sets in the middle of the night.
Full Moon rises around sunset, is visible all night, and sets around sunrise.
Visit The Moon for more about why the Moon changes shape throughout the month.
Can you see the Flags on the Moon? Go HERE to find out.
THE MOON TODAY
THIS MONTH’S DAILY MOON PHASES
APRIL EVENING STAR MAP
Download our Basic EVENING Star Map for April 2024 (pdf) April 2024 Basic Evening Star Map
(For star maps to print properly, download pdf and save to your computer, then print from there.)
Download our star maps to help you find your way around the sky.
Our basic star maps show the planets and major star patterns or constellations visible in the evening and morning skies this month, without faint background stars. This makes it easier to pick out the brighter patterns in the real sky. Hold the map in front of you so that the direction you are facing is at the bottom. The middle of the circular map (marked “zenith”) is the point directly over your head. The edges of the circular map mark the horizon. Find one of the bright constellation patterns, ignoring fainter stars you might see in between. You can then jump from constellation to constellation finding your way around the sky. It helps to use a dim, red flashlight so that you can see both the map and the sky together.
Are you ready to try a star map at the next level? If you are able to easily use our Basic Evening Star Map above and have a pair of binoculars to do a little more exploring, try this April evening star map from the Astronomical League.
Download the April 2024 AstroLeague Starmap (pdf) April 2024 Astroleague Starmap
APRIL MORNING STAR MAP
Download our Basic MORNING Star Map for April 2024 (pdf) April 2024 Basic Morning Star Map
(For star maps to print properly, download pdf and save to your computer, then print from there.)
Download our star maps to help you find your way around the sky.
Our basic star maps show the planets and major star patterns or constellations visible in the evening and morning skies this month, without faint background stars. This makes it easier to pick out the brighter patterns in the real sky. Hold the map in front of you so that the direction you are facing is at the bottom. The middle of the circular map (marked “zenith”) is the point directly over your head. The edges of the circular map mark the horizon. Find one of the bright constellation patterns, ignoring fainter stars you might see in between. You can then jump from constellation to constellation finding your way around the sky. It helps to use a dim, red flashlight so that you can see both the map and the sky together.
