April skygazing: An early micromoon, comet flyby, and the Lyrid meteor shower

Spring has sprung, the annual hour of sleep has been stolen from us, and the days are getting longer.  But don’t fear, skygazers, there are still enough celestial sights to see this month to keep you happy. They include an early full moon, a meteor shower known for generating unexpected spectacles, and a lovely conjunction of the moon and one of our cosmic neighbors. Also, there’s a comet to see! Onwards! 

April 1: Full Pink Moon

A full moon on the first day of the month! As far as we know, there’s no name for this, but it doesn’t matter, because April’s moon is gifted with the most poetic of names anyway. It’s the Pink Moon, making April the best month of the year for fans of Nick Drake, Édith Piaf and, excuse the pun,, P!nk herself. Sadly, despite the poetic name, the moon itself is the same color as always. The “pink” in the pink moon is a reference to the flowers that bloom as winter releases its icy grasp and spring warms the Earth for another year.

This April’s full moon is also a micromoon, placing it firmly at the opposite end of the scale from the string of supermoons we had from October through January. A micromoon is a full moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its furthest distance from Earth. This distance means that the moon will appear relatively small. To see our little April moonlet, bless it, look to the skies at 10:12 p.m. EDT on April 1 when it reaches peak illumination.

April 17: Best Chance to See Comet C/2025 R3

There’s a comet heading our way this month—but don’t worry! As per NASA, that comet named Comet C/2025 R3 might be the brightest such visitor visible this year. While its closest approach to Earth isn’t until April 27, NASA suggests that the evening of April 17 might be the best time to catch it, because there’ll be no moonlight to interfere with comet viewing action. You’ll still need a telescope or a good pair of binoculars, though. If you have access to such gear, look to the eastern sky above the constellation Pisces—the comet should be visible within the constellation Pegasus.

April 19: The Moon, Venus, and Pleiades Conjunction

By April 19, the moon will have waxed almost to invisibility—but not quite. And that’s just as well.Otherwise, we’d be denied the lovely spectacle of the tiny crescent moon peeking its way out from the constellation Pleiades, just above the always eye-catching beauty that is the planet Venus. The scene will play out in the western sky, not far above the horizon. If you look a little further upward, you’ll see the absolute big boy himself, cousin Jupiter, rumbling into the chat to make sure he gets some attention too.

April 22: Lyrid Meteor Shower Predicted Peak

As far as meteor showers go, the Lyrids don’t mess around. They’re in and out of the sky in a couple of weeks, and if you miss them, that’s it  until next year. This means they can be hit or miss, especially if they coincide with the light of a full moon or a spell of bad weather. In these cases, there might be none 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 April 29, with the predicted peak smack bang in the middle on April 22. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the radiant point—from which the meteors appear to originate—will be high in the northern sky. Expect to see 10 to 15 meteors an hour—but as per EarthSky, the Lyrids are known for generating “uncommon surges,” so you never know what you might see!

During any month, remember that you’ll get the best experience gazing at the cosmos if you get away from any sources of light pollution, give your eyeballs some time to adjust to the darkness, and review our stargazing tips before setting out into the night.

Until next time! 

 

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