What's up in the night sky during the month of April 2025?

April marks a seasonal shift, not only on Earth but also in our skies. As flowers bloom and rains arrive, the night sky reveals its own spectacle.

Planets reposition themselves, a meteor shower sparks across the heavens, and a distant cluster of ancient stars invites a closer look.

Whether you’re stepping outside for the first time with binoculars or you’ve mapped constellations for years, this month has something remarkable in store.

As the days grow longer and evenings get warmer, it becomes easier to spend time outdoors. This month, the sky gives back in kind – with planetary pairings, radiant meteors, and a view into the distant halo of our galaxy.

April reminds us that you don’t need advanced equipment or deep knowledge to enjoy the night sky. All you need is curiosity and a clear view.

Jupiter and Mars brighten the April sky

Early April evenings start strong with Jupiter and the crescent Moon shining close together. This pairing will occur twice – on April 1st and again on the 30th.

Look west about half an hour after sunset. The two will remain visible for around three hours as the twilight fades into night.

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, reflects light steadily. Its brightness makes it easy to spot, even from cities.

The Moon adds a soft glow, creating a calming, luminous scene. This pairing is short-lived but very memorable.

As April progresses, Mars becomes a dominant feature high in the southern sky. Early in the month, it sits almost exactly between two well-known stars – Procyon and Pollux.

Mars does not stay still. Its steady movement through the sky makes it an interesting object to track, night by night.

Moon moves close to Mars mid-April

On April 4th and 5th, the Moon approaches Mars closely.

They appear side by side, offering a striking contrast. Mars has a reddish hue while the Moon reflects a soft, white light. This pairing may look especially beautiful through binoculars, where both can fit into the same field of view.

These events help build familiarity with the night sky. Noticing where planets sit compared to stars teaches how they move differently.

Unlike stars, which hold their place, planets shift gradually over weeks. Mars, with its distinct color, becomes easy to follow, once you spot it.

As the evenings grow warmer, step outside, look up, and trace Mars as it arcs across the sky. You’re watching a planet millions of kilometers away, but sharing the same sunlight that warms your own backyard.

Venus shifts into the morning sky

In a change from previous months, Venus now rises before the Sun. It has officially moved from the evening sky to the morning.

At the start of April, it reflects sunlight low on the eastern horizon, just before dawn. As the month advances, it rises earlier and climbs higher each morning.

On April 24th and 25th, Venus will appear with Saturn and a thin crescent Moon. This early-morning gathering will take place low in the east. A clear view of the horizon will be key to catching it.

Mercury might join this scene too. It’s bright but difficult to spot, sitting very low near the horizon.

Observers in areas without buildings or trees blocking the view have a good chance of finding it. These moments reward those willing to rise early, before the day begins.

April’s sky brings Lyrid meteor shower

Mid to late April offers another treat – the Lyrid meteor shower. This annual event occurs as Earth crosses a trail of dust left by Comet Thatcher. The meteors arrive from a point in the sky called the radiant, located near the constellation Lyra.

The peak occurs overnight on April 21st into the early morning of the 22nd. Under very dark skies, you could see up to 15 meteors per hour.

They begin appearing after 10:30 p.m. and continue through dawn. The best viewing time is around 5 a.m. when the radiant climbs higher.

A waning crescent Moon will rise at about 3:30 a.m., but since it’s only 27 percent full, it won’t outshine the meteors much. Lie back somewhere safe, face the east, and look straight up.

Meteors may streak in from any direction. Some Lyrids are known to leave bright trails that linger for a few seconds.

Meteors and what they tell us

Lyrid meteors aren’t just a visual spectacle. They also offer insights into the nature of comets.

When tiny dust particles from space enter our atmosphere, they burn up, creating the bright flashes we see as meteors. NASA uses ground-based cameras, high-altitude aircraft, and even satellites to study them.

Understanding meteors helps NASA predict when showers will be active. It also supports spacecraft safety. Small particles in space can damage instruments, so knowing when Earth will pass through a dense trail is critical.

Beyond safety, meteor studies shed light on the composition of long-gone comets and the broader history of our solar system.

Each meteor we see is a brief spark from a story that is billions of years old. They may vanish in an instant, but they carry the past into our present.

Journey to the distant cluster M3

April also gives us a chance to see a deep-sky treasure – Messier 3, or M3. This globular cluster contains around 500,000 stars packed tightly together. It sits about 34,000 light-years away, far out in the Milky Way’s halo.

Charles Messier, an 18th-century French astronomer, first recorded M3 in 1764. Mistaking it for a comet at first, he later added it to his list of objects that were not comets. That list became the Messier catalog, a guide now used by amateur and professional astronomers alike.

Through binoculars, M3 appears as a soft, round glow. A small telescope reveals a more detailed patch with a grainy texture.

Larger scopes begin to show individual stars near the edges. What you’re seeing are some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, many of them over 10 billion years old.

Finding M3 with the Big Dipper

To find M3, look toward the east. Use the Big Dipper’s handle to trace a curve toward Arcturus, one of the brightest stars in the sky. Then look slightly higher and to the left to locate Cor Caroli, another bright star.

M3 lies about one-third of the way between Arcturus and Cor Caroli. Sweep that area slowly with binoculars or a finder scope.

Once you find it, you’ll spot a soft, spherical glow – the ancient star city. This object is visible even from the edge of town if the skies are dark.

Globular clusters like M3 differ from open clusters such as the Pleiades. They orbit far above and below the Milky Way’s plane. Our galaxy has about 150 of them, each a relic from a time when the universe was young.

Moon phases shape what we see in the April sky

As you follow planets and meteors, don’t forget the Moon. Its phases offer a rhythm to the month. Watch as it grows from a sliver to full, then wanes again into another crescent.

Each phase brings different lighting conditions, ideal for exploring various parts of the sky.

A bright Moon can wash out faint stars and meteors, but it also brings its own beauty. Its changing shape creates new shadows and features on its surface. Through binoculars or a small telescope, craters and ridges come to life.

April’s sky invites everyone to explore

April’s sky shows the balance between motion and stillness. Planets wander while stars remain fixed. Meteors flash and vanish, while clusters like M3 endure for billions of years. Each night brings a new chapter to read above.

Keep track of celestial events and space missions at NASA’s website. Whether you’re gazing up at dawn or after dinner, this month invites you to slow down and look beyond.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–