Astronomical events calendar April 2021

A year is about to pass, a new year is approaching. Let’s find out what interesting astronomical events await us in April 2021.

This ephemeris document is mainly translated from the Seasky site, and also references many reputable scientific sites such as Earthsky, NASA, Time & Date, etc. The times of astronomical events in the article are all converted to Vietnamese time.

Table of Contents

April 12 – New Moon

The Moon will be on the same side of the Sun as Earth and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase will take place at 9:30 a.m. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies or star clusters, as it is not affected by moonlight.

April 22, 23 – Lyrid Shooting Star Shower (Thien Cam)

The Lyrids are a medium shower, typically producing up to 20 meteors per hour at their peak. It is created by dust particles left by the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, discovered in 1861. This star shower takes place every year from April 16 to 25. This year’s peak is on the night of the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd. These shooting stars can sometimes create bright dust trails that last for a few seconds. The problem this year is that that’s when the moon is almost full. Its bright light will obscure all but the brightest stars. But if you’re patient, you’ll probably still be able to spot some clear marks. Best observed in a dark place after midnight. The meteor will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Lyrids meteor shower, April 2018. Photo: Jaclyn Anglis

April 27 – Full Moon, Super Moon

The Moon will appear on the opposite side of the Sun from the Earth and its surface will be fully illuminated. This phase occurred at 10:33 a.m. Ancient Native American tribes called this full moon phase the Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of moss pink, also known as wild oleander, which is one of the first flowers of the season to bloom in spring . This moon phase is also known as the Growing Grass Moon, Growing Moon, and Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Fish Moon because it was the time when herring swam upstream to spawn. This is also the first of three supermoons of 2021. The Moon will be closest to Earth and will likely appear a little larger and brighter than usual.

Comparison of the Super Moon (right) and the normal full moon. Source: Flickr