For sky watchers in North America, April promises to be a spectacular month, with opportunities to view four of the five naked eye planets in our Solar System at the same time. Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn will be visible at sunset for most of the month. A fifth visible planet, Mercury, will be rising at dawn in the Northern Hemisphere, making it extremely difficult to view in the glare of the rising Sun. Here’s a brief look at how to find each of this month’s visible planets:
Venus – Along with Jupiter, Venus is currently one of the brightest objects in the sky, and one of the first to become visible at dusk. You can find it high in the western sky at nightfall.
Mars – The red planet reached opposition (it’s best viewing location) in March, and is still a sight to behold. It rises to the southeast at dusk this month in the constellation Leo. It is brighter than Leo’s brightest star, Regulus, and can be differentiated by its reddish hue.
Jupiter – Our Solar System’s largest planet will be sitting low on the western horizon this month, getting ready to dip out of view. It’s easy to pick out because it is the brightest object in its vicinity.
Saturn – The ringed planet rises in the east near nightfall throughout the month, reaching opposition (it’s best viewing location) on April 15. Look for it near Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.
Jaime McLeod is the Web Content Editor for the Farmers' Almanac. She is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, loves eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
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