At the beginning of April, the Sun is in the constellation of Pisces, the Fish. By the end of the month, it appears in the constellation of Aries, the Ram. During the course of the month, the Sun appears 10 degrees higher in the sky, warming the northern hemisphere of our delicate world with its more direct rays, as tiny plants start poking their way out of the soil.
April of 2021 welcomes the return of the planet Venus to the evening sky, after experiencing superior conjunction on March 26 (opposite side of the Sun as seen from Earth). It is observable low in the western sky after sunset late in the month. It will climb higher into the sky, and out of the Sun’s glare, as the weeks progress, leading to a wonderful apparition in June. Stay tuned!
For early risers — before the Sun encroaches upon, and temporarily extinguishes, the absolute glory of the night — the other great planets (Jupiter/Saturn) can be readily observed, low in the south/southeastern sky. Saturn leads Jupiter, both in the constellation of Capricornus, in their march across the sky.
For the month of April:
April 1: Sunrise – 06:34 am EDT; Sunset – 07:17 pm EDT
April 30: Sunrise – 05:49 am EDT; Sunset – 07:49 pm EDT
Moon Phases:
April 4: Last Quarter Moon, 06:02 am
April 11: New Moon, 10:30 pm
April 20: First Quarter Moon, 02:59 am
April 26: Full Moon*, 11:31 pm
*This month’s full moon is a Supermoon. According to The Old Farmers’ Almanac, the April full moon is also known as the Pink Moon — but don’t get your hopes up. This doesn’t mean that the moon will look pink. Rather, its name is associated with the color of creeping phlox (also known as ‘Moss Pink’), an early springtime wildflower native to eastern North America.
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ABOUT MR. MEREDITH:
Mark Meredith is a science teacher at the Talcott Mountain Science Center & Academy. He received his BS in Computational and Applied Mathematics at the University of Connecticut in 1987. At the Talcott Mountain Science Center, he teaches hands-on physical science programs such as Astronomy, Robotics, Electronics, Ham Radio (school club W1TMS), and Physics. He has coached for the F.I.R.S.T robotics program, the F.I.R.S.T. Lego League and the Trinity College Home Firefighting Robot Competition.
*Fun fact: while at Talcott, Mr. Meredith has “celebrated”; 17.5 Martian years; 2.78 Jovian years; and 1.12 Saturnian years. 😉
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