This month on Minnesota Night Skies, it's a quiet month as we wait for spring to finally arrive, but there are a few things to look out for.
Aurora season continues over most of Minnesota!
Mars aligns with Gemini's bright start Castor and Pollux on April 10.
Look for the smallest full moon of the year, the so-called micro-moon on April 12. Don't believe it? Bob has tips to assemble photographic proof.
Also April 12, there's a close conjunction with Spica in Virgo.
Look for the peak of the annual Lyrid meteor shower April 22.
Venus has flipped over to the morning sky after it passed between the Earth and sun. We'll have a nice conjunction of Venus, Saturn and the crescent moon on April 25 very low at dawn. And watch Jupiter and Mars move to the east at a good clip this month as they orbit the sun.
Plus, for the first time ever, Bob reads poetry!
Next month on Minnesota Night Skies, another meteor shower to look forward to, plus more pleasant weather (we hope) to encourage folks to spend the night out under the stars.
Astro Bob is podcasting! Astro Bob King and Echo Press reporter and host Lisa Johnson did an astronomy radio show together for many years, and now they’re back on a new podcast for all of Minnesota, called Minnesota Night Skies.
Bob King is an amateur astronomer, an photographer and author. His most recent book is called “Magnificent Aurora” about the Northern Lights. He writes a syndicated column for the Duluth News Tribune and is a regular contributor to Sky & Telescope magazine.
Bob recommends several guides to help you find what’s up in the sky. For more information about the star maps and a local information calendar, you can check out Skymaps.com. Also look for Stellarium Mobile where you get your apps. It's available for both Apple and Android phones.