April 2001

By Steve Stefanik

Now that April has arrived and Spring has sprung (astronomically anyway), the familiar winter-time constellations of Taurus and Orion are sinking quickly in the west. So too the planets Jupiter and Saturn which accompanied us through the long dark cold winter nights will set earlier and earlier with each passing day. Saturn sets by 11:00 p.m. tonight and Jupiter follows about an hour later. By the end of the month Jupiter will set by 9:00 p.m. This month will be your last chance to get a good look at the giant planets before they disappear from view next month.

Speaking of setting earlier and earlier, did you remember to set your clocks ahead one hour this morning? That’s right! Its day-light savings time which occurs the first Sunday in April. It just so happens today is not only the first day of April but it also happens to be the first Sunday in April. No kidding! Its not an April fool’s joke. Really.

Not only is day-light savings early this year but Easter will also be early this year. Because Easter occurs the first Sunday after the first full moon (which occurs on April 7) after the Spring equinox that means that Easter Sunday will be on the 15^th this year. The only thing that doesn’t appear to be early this year is the spring-like weather!

If you happen to notice the first quarter moon in the west tomorrow evening and you have binoculars handy, take a look at the moon through them. You will see the moon with hundreds of tiny dim stars surrounding it. This is a star cluster known as the "Beehive" in the constellation Cancer. If you watch patiently you will notice the moon occult (cover up) several of the stars which will reappear on the opposite side of it as time passes.

Although Jupiter and Saturn will be missed along with many of the familiar winter constellations some of the summer constellations are rising earlier and higher with each passing night. Leo the lion is high in the southern sky by mid-evening and Virgo is right behind it high in the southeast. Bootes the herdsman (which looks like a big kite) is high in the east marked by its bright orange first magnitude star Arcturus. The constellation Ophiuchus the "big oaf" is rising just above the eastern horizon and the long awaited planet Mars along with it.

Because the orbit of Mars around the sun is twice as long as Earth’s, we only get to see it every two years and this is the year. Mars is within two months of opposition when it will be directly opposite us from the sun. It will move rapidly out of Ophiuchus and into the summer-time constellation of Scorpius the scorpion on the 19^th. It will grow in size from 15 arc seconds to more than 20 and increase in brightness from magnitude 0.2 to greater than –2.0 by the time it reaches opposition in June.

If you happen to be out observing the third week of the month and you notice quick streaks of light darting across the sky these are the Lyrid meteor showers which peak on the night of the 21-22 although you may see some the week before or after.