What’s Up: April 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA

Mercury shines brightest of the year, the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak, and a bright new comet appears in the April night sky.

• April 3: Mercury at greatest elongation
• April 17: Better chance of seeing comet C/2025 R3
• April 21 and 22: Lyrid Meteor Shower Peak
• April 27: Comet C/2025 R3 comes closest to Earth

Mercury shines brightly, the Lyrid meteor shower peaks, and a comet appears. This is what happens in April.

On April 3, Mercury will be most visible of the year. On this date, the planet will be at its greatest elongation, or at its greatest distance from the Sun, as we see it from Earth, which will allow us to better see this planet, which is often difficult to spot.

To find Mercury, look east before the Sun begins to rise. The planet will be very low on the horizon, just above Mars.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks April 21-22. This meteor shower comes from debris left behind by Comet Thatcher.

When this debris hits and then burns up in our atmosphere, we see the “shooting stars” of a meteor shower.

For the peak of the April Lyrids, look eastward from around 10 p.m. on April 21 and through the night of April 22. The meteor shower takes place near the star Vega, the fifth brightest star in the night sky, found in the constellation Lyra, the Harp.

April 17 might be your best chance to spot comet C/2025 R3, which some say could be the brightest comet of the year. This comet will approach Earth closest on April 27, being less than 44 million kilometers from our planet.

Experts estimate the comet will likely reach magnitude eight, meaning you’ll need a telescope or binoculars to see it. The comet will be visible in the eastern sky in the constellations Pegasus and above Pisces. You can spot the comet before dawn in mid-to-late April in the Northern Hemisphere, and in the evening in early May for viewers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Here are the Moon phases for April. You can stay informed about all NASA missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. My name is Chelsea Gohd from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and this is what’s happening this month.