April 6 – 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 11:37. 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 11 – Mercury reaches its eastern maximum ecliptic
Mercury reaches its maximum eastern elongation, up to 19.5 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to observe Mercury as it will be at its highest point on the horizon in the dark sky. Look for the low planet in the western sky just after sunset.
April 20 – 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 takes place at 11:15 a.m. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects like galaxies and star clusters as there is no moonlight in the way.
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 20 – Hybrid Solar Eclipse
A hybrid eclipse occurs when the Moon is very close to Earth, not close enough to completely block sunlight. At several places on Earth, it has been observed as a total eclipse; Elsewhere it is an annular eclipse. The path of the eclipse will begin in the southern Indian Ocean and pass through areas west of Australia and southern Indonesia. The partial eclipse will be visible over most of Indonesia and Australia.
Total Solar Eclipse, April 2023 by Fred Espenak.
See more Ephemeris 2023 here: https://deepsky2000.net/lich-cac-su-kien-thien-van-nam-2023
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