April skygazing: An early micromoon, comet flyby, and the Lyrid meteor shower
| April 1 | Full Pink Moon |
| April 17 | Better chance of seeing comet C/2025 R3 |
| April 19 | The conjunction of Moon, Venus and Pleiades |
| April 22 | Predicted peak of the Lyrid meteor shower |
Spring has arrived, the annual hour of sleep has been stolen from us and the days are getting longer. But fear not, sky lovers, there are still enough celestial sights to see this month to keep you satisfied. They include an early full moon, a meteor shower known to generate unexpected shows, and a beautiful conjunction of the moon and one of our cosmic neighbors. There is also a comet to see! Ahead !
April 1: Pink Full Moon
A full moon on the first day of the month! As far as we know, there is no name for it, but that doesn’t matter, because the April moon is blessed with the most poetic name anyway. It’s the Pink Moon, which makes April the best month of the year for fans of Nick Drake, Édith Piaf and, excuse the pun, P!nk herself. Unfortunately, despite its poetic name, the moon itself is always the same color. The “pink” in the Pink Moon refers to the flowers that bloom when winter releases its icy grip and spring warms the Earth for another year.
April’s full moon is also a micromoon, placing it firmly at the opposite end of the scale from the series of supermoons we had from October to January. A micromoon is a full moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its farthest distance from Earth. This distance means the moon will appear relatively small. To see our little April moon, bless it, look to the sky at 10:12 p.m. EDT on April 1, when it reaches peak illumination.
April 17: Best chance to see comet C/2025 R3
A comet is heading our way this month, but don’t worry! According to NASA, this comet named Comet C/2025 R3 could be the brightest visitor visible this year. Although its closest approach to Earth won’t be until April 27, NASA suggests that the evening of April 17 might be the best time to catch it, as there will be no moonlight to interfere with comet viewing. However, you will still need a telescope or a good pair of binoculars. If you have access to such equipment, look to the eastern sky above the constellation Pisces: the comet should be visible in the constellation Pegasus.
April 19: Conjunction of the Moon, Venus and the Pleiades
On April 19, the moon will have become almost invisible, but not quite. And that’s also good. Otherwise, we would be deprived of the pretty sight of the small crescent moon emerging from the constellation Pleiades, just above the ever-catching beauty that is the planet Venus. The scene will take place in the western sky, not far above the horizon. If you look a little higher, you’ll see the big boy himself, cousin Jupiter, growling in conversation to make sure he gets attention too.
April 22: Expected peak of the Lyrid meteor shower
When it comes to meteor showers, the Lyrids don’t mess around. They go up and down from the sky in a few weeks, and if you miss them, that’s it until next year. This means they can be random, especially if they coincide with the light of a full moon or a period of bad weather. In these cases, there may be nothing to see at all.
Fortunately, their predicted peak will coincide with excellent viewing conditions – weather permitting, of course. The meteor shower will last from April 15 to 29, with an expected peak right in the middle on April 22. For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, the radiant point – where the meteors appear to come from – will be high in the northern sky. Expect to see 10 to 15 meteors per hour, but according to EarthSky, the Lyrids are known for generating “unusual surges,” so you never know what you might see!
During any month, remember that you will get the best experience observing the cosmos if you move away from any sources of light pollution, give your eyeballs time to adjust to the darkness, And check out our stargazing tips before heading out into the night.
Until next time!
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