WEBVTT 00:00:07.630 --> 00:00:10.509 Howdy Star Gazers, and welcome to this episode 00:00:10.509 --> 00:00:14.210 of Star Trails. I'm Drew, and I'll be your guide 00:00:14.210 --> 00:00:16.690 to the night sky for the week starting April 00:00:16.690 --> 00:00:21.149 20th through the 26th. This week's episode is 00:00:21.149 --> 00:00:23.890 a shorter one, as there isn't much to report 00:00:23.890 --> 00:00:26.469 in the night sky that's different from previous 00:00:26.469 --> 00:00:30.219 weeks. We're monitoring a new comet that's fairly 00:00:30.219 --> 00:00:33.100 tricky to spot in the pre -dawn hours, and we're 00:00:33.100 --> 00:00:35.820 approaching the peak of the season's first meteor 00:00:35.820 --> 00:00:39.100 shower. So, grab a comfortable spot under the 00:00:39.100 --> 00:00:44.119 night sky and let's get started. The week begins 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:48.060 with the moon in its last quarter phase. As the 00:00:48.060 --> 00:00:50.960 week progresses, the moon wanes towards a new 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.039 moon, which will occur next Sunday, on April 00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:58.240 27th. With darker skies, this period could be 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:01.179 an ideal time to track down some of those targets 00:01:01.179 --> 00:01:04.840 we mentioned in our Galaxy Season episode from 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:09.599 March 30th. This week also marks the peak of 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:12.400 the Lyrid meteor shower, which occurs on the 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.459 night of April 21st into the morning of April 00:01:15.459 --> 00:01:20.140 22nd. Observers can expect up to 20 meteors per 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:23.939 hour under ideal conditions. However, the waning 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:27.379 crescent moon rising a few hours before dawn 00:01:27.379 --> 00:01:31.900 may slightly hinder visibility. Even with the 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:35.180 slender moon, you shouldn't have any issues spotting 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:38.459 brighter meteors. The radiant, that's the point 00:01:38.459 --> 00:01:41.579 from which the meteors appear to originate, is 00:01:41.579 --> 00:01:45.170 around the star Vega. But you can see them anywhere 00:01:45.170 --> 00:01:48.349 in the sky. Just look up. No special viewing 00:01:48.349 --> 00:01:52.829 equipment is needed. Additionally, the Eta Aquarid 00:01:52.829 --> 00:01:56.709 meteor shower begins tonight, with activity increasing 00:01:56.709 --> 00:02:00.590 towards its peak in early May. While more prominent 00:02:00.590 --> 00:02:03.409 in the southern hemisphere, northern observers 00:02:03.409 --> 00:02:06.730 may still catch glimpses of these swift meteors 00:02:06.730 --> 00:02:10.860 in the early morning hours. And speaking of early 00:02:10.860 --> 00:02:14.840 hours, a captivating planetary alignment is unfolding 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:19.520 just before dawn. Venus, Saturn, and Mercury 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:23.159 form a trio visible to the naked eye, with Venus 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:27.620 shining the brightest. On April 25th, a slender 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:31.099 crescent moon joins this assembly, enhancing 00:02:31.099 --> 00:02:35.360 the spectacle. In the evening sky, Jupiter remains 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:38.539 prominent in the west, gradually setting earlier 00:02:38.539 --> 00:02:42.259 each night. Mars trails behind, still hanging 00:02:42.259 --> 00:02:45.740 out in Gemini. Look for its reddish glow near 00:02:45.740 --> 00:02:50.719 the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. Comet C 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.800 2025 F2, or SWAN, is putting on a subtle but 00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:59.750 promising show for early risers this week. Discovered 00:02:59.750 --> 00:03:02.689 in late March, this newly arrived visitor is 00:03:02.689 --> 00:03:06.110 glowing with a characteristic green hue, thanks 00:03:06.110 --> 00:03:10.770 to excited carbon molecules in its coma. Right 00:03:10.770 --> 00:03:14.129 now it's visible low on the east -northeastern 00:03:14.129 --> 00:03:18.289 horizon just before sunrise. Binoculars or a 00:03:18.289 --> 00:03:20.789 small telescope will help you spot it near the 00:03:20.789 --> 00:03:24.520 great square of Pegasus. The comet is currently 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:29.180 around magnitude 8 .4, so it's still below naked 00:03:29.180 --> 00:03:33.500 eye visibility. Swan will approach perihelion 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:37.500 on May 1, when it will be just 31 million miles 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:41.539 from the Sun. After perihelion, it will transition 00:03:41.539 --> 00:03:45.199 to the evening sky, possibly offering a beautiful 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:48.360 pairing with the Pleiades star cluster around 00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:52.909 April 30 to May 2. For backyard astronomers, 00:03:53.150 --> 00:03:55.689 this is a unique chance to catch a comet with 00:03:55.689 --> 00:04:00.210 a once every 70 ,000 year orbit. I'm already 00:04:00.210 --> 00:04:03.250 seeing reports from some astrophotographers that 00:04:03.250 --> 00:04:06.770 say this comet is growing dimmer. So, as always, 00:04:07.069 --> 00:04:09.909 these cosmic snowballs are proving unpredictable. 00:04:10.569 --> 00:04:12.770 We'll keep an eye on it in the coming weeks. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.199 If you found this episode helpful, let me know 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:24.279 and feel free to send in your questions and observations. 00:04:24.660 --> 00:04:27.120 The easiest way to do that is by visiting our 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:31.500 website, StarTrails .Show. This is also a great 00:04:31.500 --> 00:04:34.519 way to share the show with friends. Until next 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:37.180 time, keep looking up and exploring the night 00:04:37.180 --> 00:04:39.199 sky. Clear skies everyone!