Some highlights for the night sky in April 2004

Friday 2 April 2004

• Gibbous Moon just 4 degrees from Jupiter in Leo
• M65, M66, M95, M96, M105

Monday 5 April 2004

• Full Moon in East near Spica after sunset
• M58, M59, M60, M84, M86, M87, M88, M89, M91, M98, M99, M100

Thursday 8 April 2004

• Arcturus of Bootes in East
• M58, M59, M60, M84, M86, M87, M88, M89, M91, M98, M99, M100

Saturday 10 April 2004

• Mars getting dimmer, now 2nd mag near Venus in West
• M1, M35, M36, M37, M38, M42, M45

Wednesday 14 April 2004

• Aldebaran will be leaving soon
• M1, M35, M36, M37, M38, M42, M45

Friday 16 April 2004

• Waning crescent Moon before sunrise
• Uranus, Neptune, M2, M30, M72, M73

Monday 19 April 2004

• New Moon
• Partial solar eclipse in Africa and Antarctica
• M1, M35, M36, M37, M38

Thursday 22 April 2004

• Crescent Moon near Venus
• M1, M35, M36, M37, M38

Monday 26 April 2004

• Venus and Mars at minimum separation (6 degrees)
• M1, M35, M36, M37, M38

Wednesday 28 April 2004

• Venus is a bright crescent
• M1, M35, M36, M37, M38

Friday 30 April 2004

• Preview summer triangle sky in early morning before dawn
  • Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila
  • M27, M29, M56, M57, M92

Good skywatching resources

• The Messier Objects list
• Abrams Planetarium Skywatcher's Diary (source of the daily events)
• SkyMap software (used to make the maps)
• The Nearest Stars
• The Brightest Stars
• Skymaps dot com (free monthly star maps)
• Planetarium Software
• About the GMU observatory

John Avellone's provided web sites

• FCPS/NOVAC EarthDial Web Cam at TJHSST Planetarium
• EarthDial Project Beta test webpage