Stargazing This Week

The Lyrid Meteor Shower
It's that time of year again. In the middle of April each year the Earth moves through a patch of space junk that falls into our atmosphere, lighting up the sky from an Eastern radiant point near the constellation Lyra. Lyra's brightest star, Vega, is a reasonable proxy to orient yourself for the meteor shower.

The best viewing will be in the predawn hours, away from the lights of the city. Vega rises from the horizon pretty much as sunset, but the light growing moon will be a bit of a problem. The moon sets well after midnight these days, so plan on getting up early.

Fortunately for you folks at Northern latitudes, Vega and the Lyrids will also be high in the sky after 3 am, offering the best chance to view the meteors. For our friends Down Under, you'll have to look closer to the Eastern horizon. But if it's dark, you'll might still be able to see a few!

To find Vega and the Lyrids, look to the East, and then look up. The Lyrid shower peaks midweek, around the nights of the 21st/22nd.

Bonus Gas Giants!
If you're up early and looking East to catch the Lyrids, expect to see Jupiter and Saturn on the horizon just before dawn.

The Moon visits Gemini
Did you manage to see the Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264) last week? It was between the constellations Gemini and Orion, and even from the dark skies of the Methow it was hard to pin down.

If you want another shot at it, the moon will visit the celestial twins early this week, landing right between them tomorrow night! On Monday night, expect to find the moon just to the beside their heads, the stars Pollux and Castor. Incidentally, Castor is a six-pack of stars, although we can't really resolve their separation from our position here on Earth.

Bonus Red Planet
From the Moon's position on Monday night, look across Gemini to their feet to find Mars, which may serve as another visual aid to guide to to the twins.