Home          Archived Monthly Sky 2002: Feb Mar

Astronomy Club of Asheville

Asheville, NC

April 2002 Sky Highlights

"New" Comet!

• Comet Ikeya-Zhang has been beautiful the last half of March, hanging low in the north-west just after sunset at magnitude 3.4. In early April it will be visible very low both in the north-west in the evening, and in the north-east in the pre-dawn sky. It will gradually move higher and higher into the morning sky during the month, but probably become dimmer as it does. It will enter Cassiopeia on April 8th at magnitude 3.9, Cepheus on April 18th at magnitude 4.4, and Draco on April 28th at magnitude 5.0.
• Sky & Telescope has a web page to see where it is on any give night. Their "interactive sky chart" is outstanding. The link that takes you directly to the comet is ~1/2 way down the article's page, next to the 1st small chart of the comet's path, & sort of hidden in the text (it doesn't stant out in another color, but shows up as gray in my browser).
• This is a newly discoved comet, but seems to be the same one that visited in 1661!

Moon

Last quarter is April 4^th.

New Moon is April 12^th.

First Quarter is April 20^th.

Full Moon is April 27^th.

Planets

• Jupiter is at –2.2 to –2.0 magnitude this month
• Saturn is at +0.1 magnitude this month.
• Mars is at +1.5 to +1.6 magnitude this month.
• Mercury at –0.3 to –0.2 magnitude at month’s end.
• Venus is at –3.9 magnitude all month.

Jupiter, Saturn, Mars & Venus are visible for the month of April. Look west each evening, in that order from high to low. Mercury joins them the 2^nd half of the month. At the end of the month the five planets form a line that can fit in the view of a 50-mm camera lens. The tightest gathering will be in early May. Be sure to look for this fantastic gathering in April and early May. It will be spectacular!

Constellations

West: (Starting this direction as it sets first) Canis Major, Orion, Taurus & the Pleiades in Taurus.

South: Corvus, Hydra, Monoceros & Canis Minor.

East: Bootes, Virgo, Corona Borealis & Hercules.

North: Ursa Minor with the bowl pointing east & Ursa Major at high north above Ursa Minor.

At zenith: Leo, Leo Minor, Coma Berenices, Cancer & part of Virgo.

Highlights

Look for the many Messier and NGC objects in Leo, Virgo and Coma Berenices. Several articles on what to look for are in Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines.

• The Lyrid meteor shower radiates from Lyra. The peak occurs the early morning hours of April 22 in the US. This produces moderate activity every year. Should produce 10-15 meteors per hour predawn.
• Sunday, April 7^th, change clocks forward one hour to begin daylight savings time.
• See page 48 in Sky & Telescope magazine for a light pollution view of the earth at night.

• Astronomy Day is Saturday, April 20^th. This was started in 1973.

Club Stargaze

The March stargaze is Friday, April 12, 2002. The parkway may be closed for winter conditions, please contact a club member for any changes in location of stargaze.

Club Meeting

The regular monthly club meeting is on the first Thursday of the month. This month’s date is April 4, 2002 at 6 p.m. at Sims Group, Consulting Engineers located at 230 Short Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC.  

Happy Starwatching!

Taken from Sky & Telescope Magazine, Astronomy Magazine & Astronomical Calendar 2002.

Nancy Byer, John Chappell