Overview
- Jupiter dominates April evenings in the south, shining near magnitude –2.1 and spanning about 37 arcseconds at midmonth for rich telescopic detail.
- Venus looks dazzling at magnitude –3.9 yet stays low in bright twilight, a result of the ecliptic meeting the western horizon at a shallow angle this month.
- Mercury delivers its best morning apparition of the year in early April at greatest western elongation, sitting roughly 15 degrees high about an hour before sunrise.
- Mid to late month, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn form a tight predawn grouping with closest separations on the order of 0.5 to 1.8 degrees, though low altitude limits fine detail.
- A waxing gibbous Moon will cover the bright star Regulus late in the month, with the best Southern Hemisphere views in eastern South America and local timing that varies by location.