April 1 – New Moon
The Moon will be on the same side of the Sun as seen from Earth and will not be present in the night sky. This phase occurs at 1:27 p.m. (Vietnam time). This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies or star clusters as they will not be affected by moonlight.
April 17 – Full Moon
The Moon will be on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun and its side will be completely illuminated. This phase occurs at 01:57 VN. Native Americans called it the Pink Moon because it marked the arrival of the rose, the first bloom of spring. This moon is also known as the Grass Sprout moon, Rising moon, and Egg moon. Many coastal tribes call it the Fish Moon because this is when the sardines swim upstream to spawn.
April 22 and 23 – Lyrid meteor shower
The Lyrids are an average meteor shower, typically hitting around 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This meteor shower is formed from dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, discovered in 1861. The Lyrids meteor shower usually occurs from April 16 to 25 each year. This year’s peak occurs on the night of the 22nd and early morning of the 23rd. Occasionally, bright long-tailed meteors appear for a few seconds in this meteor shower. The approach of the new moon will ensure dark skies, which are ideal for viewing meteor showers. The best viewing time is after midnight in a dark place. Meteors tend to radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
April 2018 Lyrids meteor shower. Photo: Jaclyn Anglis
April 30 – Partial Solar Eclipse
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon partially obscures the Sun, making it look like a cookie. Partial eclipses can be viewed through special filters or by looking at the reflection of the sun. This phenomenon will be well observed over most of the Southeast Pacific and southern South America. Best sighting in Argentina with up to 53% coverage. This phenomenon is not observed in Vietnam.
Partial solar eclipse of December 2021. Author: Annie Schmidt
See more astronomical calendar 2022 here: https://deepsky2000.net/quan-sat-thien-van/lich-thien-van-nam-2022/
The HAS translation team.
