Howdy Star Gazers, and welcome to this episode
of Star Trails. I'm Drew, and I'll be your guide
to the night sky for the week starting April
20th through the 26th. This week's episode is
a shorter one, as there isn't much to report
in the night sky that's different from previous
weeks. We're monitoring a new comet that's fairly
tricky to spot in the pre -dawn hours, and we're
approaching the peak of the season's first meteor
shower. So, grab a comfortable spot under the
night sky and let's get started. The week begins
with the moon in its last quarter phase. As the
week progresses, the moon wanes towards a new
moon, which will occur next Sunday, on April
27th. With darker skies, this period could be
an ideal time to track down some of those targets
we mentioned in our Galaxy Season episode from
March 30th. This week also marks the peak of
the Lyrid meteor shower, which occurs on the
night of April 21st into the morning of April
22nd. Observers can expect up to 20 meteors per
hour under ideal conditions. However, the waning
crescent moon rising a few hours before dawn
may slightly hinder visibility. Even with the
slender moon, you shouldn't have any issues spotting
brighter meteors. The radiant, that's the point
from which the meteors appear to originate, is
around the star Vega. But you can see them anywhere
in the sky. Just look up. No special viewing
equipment is needed. Additionally, the Eta Aquarid
meteor shower begins tonight, with activity increasing
towards its peak in early May. While more prominent
in the southern hemisphere, northern observers
may still catch glimpses of these swift meteors
in the early morning hours. And speaking of early
hours, a captivating planetary alignment is unfolding
just before dawn. Venus, Saturn, and Mercury
form a trio visible to the naked eye, with Venus
shining the brightest. On April 25th, a slender
crescent moon joins this assembly, enhancing
the spectacle. In the evening sky, Jupiter remains
prominent in the west, gradually setting earlier
each night. Mars trails behind, still hanging
out in Gemini. Look for its reddish glow near
the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. Comet C
2025 F2, or SWAN, is putting on a subtle but
promising show for early risers this week. Discovered
in late March, this newly arrived visitor is
glowing with a characteristic green hue, thanks
to excited carbon molecules in its coma. Right
now it's visible low on the east -northeastern
horizon just before sunrise. Binoculars or a
small telescope will help you spot it near the
great square of Pegasus. The comet is currently
around magnitude 8 .4, so it's still below naked
eye visibility. Swan will approach perihelion
on May 1, when it will be just 31 million miles
from the Sun. After perihelion, it will transition
to the evening sky, possibly offering a beautiful
pairing with the Pleiades star cluster around
April 30 to May 2. For backyard astronomers,
this is a unique chance to catch a comet with
a once every 70 ,000 year orbit. I'm already
seeing reports from some astrophotographers that
say this comet is growing dimmer. So, as always,
these cosmic snowballs are proving unpredictable.
We'll keep an eye on it in the coming weeks.
If you found this episode helpful, let me know
and feel free to send in your questions and observations.
The easiest way to do that is by visiting our
website, StarTrails .Show. This is also a great
way to share the show with friends. Until next
time, keep looking up and exploring the night
sky. Clear skies everyone!