Southern Hemisphere night sky tonight: highlights, April 2024<\/strong><\/h2>Morning skies in April deliver some impressive conjunctions. Mars has two interesting meetings.<\/p>
From 9 to 13 April, it sits within 1.5\u00b0 of Saturn, being side by side on the 11th, only 0.4\u00b0 apart.<\/p>
It then encounters Neptune from 28 April to 1 May, the planets fitting in a 1\u00b0 circle, closing to just 0.3\u00b0 on the 29th!<\/p>
The next two meetings involve Venus and are low in the dawn sky.<\/p>
The most challenging finds Venus 0.5\u00b0 from faint Neptune on 4 April.<\/p>
Then on 20 April, Venus sits 1.8\u00b0 from Mercury.<\/p>![\"Southern](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2020\/02\/Southern-Cross-575d9f2.jpg\")
Southern Cross. Credit: CEDIC Team Walter Herbert, CCDGuide.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>Stars and constellations<\/strong><\/h2>What a great time to spot bright constellations that are iconic to the seasons.<\/p>
There\u2019s no better symbol for autumn than the Southern Cross and pointers rising in the southern evening sky.<\/p>
Before Crux crosses the meridian, catch the summer signpost of Orion, now on its side, setting in the west.<\/p>
Winter\u2019s repres\u00adentatives must be Scorpius rising in the east, followed by Sagittarius\u2019s Teapot.<\/p>
All are visible under light-polluted skies and ideal for beginners learning the heavens.\u00a0<\/p>
Planets<\/strong><\/h2>As Jupiter and Neptune drop into the western twilight sky in early April, planet observing switches to the morning.<\/p>
Mars and Saturn are rising around 03:30 (mid-month) and travel together for most of April, less than 10\u00b0 apart.<\/p>
Venus remains\u00a0 the brilliant \u2018Morning Star\u2019 rising around dawn.<\/p>
April begins with Neptune close to Venus.<\/p>
This ice giant then rises quickly in the predawn, passing Mars as April closes. Mercury returns to the morning mid-month and is best visible at month\u2019s end.<\/p>![\"Dawn](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/6real7th-6d70245.jpg\")
Dawn conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and the Pleiades by Jonathan Green, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand. Equipment: Canon 60Da, 28-80mm Canon lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>Deep-sky objects<\/strong><\/h2>This month, a sip from Crater the Cup.<\/p>
Found west of Corvus, this faint constellation\u2019s main stars are around fourth magnitude, one being Gamma (\u03b3) Crateris (RA 11h 24.9m, dec. \u201317\u00b0 41\u2019).<\/p>
This double star consists of a white mag. +4.1 primary and a fainter mag. +9.5 blue companion, a snug 5.2 arcseconds apart.<\/p>
Find mag. +4.4 Beta (\u03b2) Crateris. Only 2\u00b0 westward lies the galaxy NGC 3511 (RA 11h 03.4m, dec. \u201323\u00b0 05\u2019).<\/p>
This 11th-magnitude spiral has a faint, elongated halo (4 x 1 arcminutes) that brightens slightly towards its centre, showing a hint of a small, oval core.<\/p>
Only 0.2\u00b0 south is another spiral galaxy, NGC 3513.<\/p>
In contrast, this appears almost circular (approx. 1.5 arcminutes across). It brightens towards its centre, but with no obvious core.<\/p>
The pair make an attractive sight through widefield eyepieces.<\/p>
Southern Hemisphere Star Charts<\/strong><\/h2>Access this month’s and all previous star charts for the Southern Hemisphere by clicking on the links below.<\/p>
Southern Hemisphere Star Chart April 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart March 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart February 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart January 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart December 2023 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart November 2023 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>
Stars and constellations<\/strong><\/h2>What a great time to spot bright constellations that are iconic to the seasons.<\/p>
There\u2019s no better symbol for autumn than the Southern Cross and pointers rising in the southern evening sky.<\/p>
Before Crux crosses the meridian, catch the summer signpost of Orion, now on its side, setting in the west.<\/p>
Winter\u2019s repres\u00adentatives must be Scorpius rising in the east, followed by Sagittarius\u2019s Teapot.<\/p>
All are visible under light-polluted skies and ideal for beginners learning the heavens.\u00a0<\/p>
Planets<\/strong><\/h2>As Jupiter and Neptune drop into the western twilight sky in early April, planet observing switches to the morning.<\/p>
Mars and Saturn are rising around 03:30 (mid-month) and travel together for most of April, less than 10\u00b0 apart.<\/p>
Venus remains\u00a0 the brilliant \u2018Morning Star\u2019 rising around dawn.<\/p>
April begins with Neptune close to Venus.<\/p>
This ice giant then rises quickly in the predawn, passing Mars as April closes. Mercury returns to the morning mid-month and is best visible at month\u2019s end.<\/p>Dawn conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and the Pleiades by Jonathan Green, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand. Equipment: Canon 60Da, 28-80mm Canon lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>Deep-sky objects<\/strong><\/h2>This month, a sip from Crater the Cup.<\/p>
Found west of Corvus, this faint constellation\u2019s main stars are around fourth magnitude, one being Gamma (\u03b3) Crateris (RA 11h 24.9m, dec. \u201317\u00b0 41\u2019).<\/p>
This double star consists of a white mag. +4.1 primary and a fainter mag. +9.5 blue companion, a snug 5.2 arcseconds apart.<\/p>
Find mag. +4.4 Beta (\u03b2) Crateris. Only 2\u00b0 westward lies the galaxy NGC 3511 (RA 11h 03.4m, dec. \u201323\u00b0 05\u2019).<\/p>
This 11th-magnitude spiral has a faint, elongated halo (4 x 1 arcminutes) that brightens slightly towards its centre, showing a hint of a small, oval core.<\/p>
Only 0.2\u00b0 south is another spiral galaxy, NGC 3513.<\/p>
In contrast, this appears almost circular (approx. 1.5 arcminutes across). It brightens towards its centre, but with no obvious core.<\/p>
The pair make an attractive sight through widefield eyepieces.<\/p>
Southern Hemisphere Star Charts<\/strong><\/h2>Access this month’s and all previous star charts for the Southern Hemisphere by clicking on the links below.<\/p>
Southern Hemisphere Star Chart April 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart March 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart February 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart January 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart December 2023 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Southern Hemisphere Star Chart November 2023 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>
As Jupiter and Neptune drop into the western twilight sky in early April, planet observing switches to the morning.<\/p>
Mars and Saturn are rising around 03:30 (mid-month) and travel together for most of April, less than 10\u00b0 apart.<\/p>
Venus remains\u00a0 the brilliant \u2018Morning Star\u2019 rising around dawn.<\/p>
April begins with Neptune close to Venus.<\/p>
This ice giant then rises quickly in the predawn, passing Mars as April closes. Mercury returns to the morning mid-month and is best visible at month\u2019s end.<\/p> This month, a sip from Crater the Cup.<\/p> Found west of Corvus, this faint constellation\u2019s main stars are around fourth magnitude, one being Gamma (\u03b3) Crateris (RA 11h 24.9m, dec. \u201317\u00b0 41\u2019).<\/p> This double star consists of a white mag. +4.1 primary and a fainter mag. +9.5 blue companion, a snug 5.2 arcseconds apart.<\/p> Find mag. +4.4 Beta (\u03b2) Crateris. Only 2\u00b0 westward lies the galaxy NGC 3511 (RA 11h 03.4m, dec. \u201323\u00b0 05\u2019).<\/p> This 11th-magnitude spiral has a faint, elongated halo (4 x 1 arcminutes) that brightens slightly towards its centre, showing a hint of a small, oval core.<\/p> Only 0.2\u00b0 south is another spiral galaxy, NGC 3513.<\/p> In contrast, this appears almost circular (approx. 1.5 arcminutes across). It brightens towards its centre, but with no obvious core.<\/p> The pair make an attractive sight through widefield eyepieces.<\/p> Access this month’s and all previous star charts for the Southern Hemisphere by clicking on the links below.<\/p> Southern Hemisphere Star Chart April 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> Southern Hemisphere Star Chart March 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> Southern Hemisphere Star Chart February 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> Southern Hemisphere Star Chart January 2024 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> Southern Hemisphere Star Chart December 2023 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> Southern Hemisphere Star Chart November 2023 (PDF)<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>Deep-sky objects<\/strong><\/h2>
Southern Hemisphere Star Charts<\/strong><\/h2>