Night sky, April 2026: What you can see tonight [maps]

The night sky tonight and on any clear night offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects you can see, from stars and constellations to bright planets, the moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers.

Observing the night sky can be done with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful, and a good telescope or binoculars will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view.

You can also use astronomy accessories to make your observing easier, and use our Satellite Tracker page powered by N2YO.com to find out when and how to see the International Space Station and other satellites. We also have a helpful guide on how you can see and track a Starlink satellite train.

You can also capture the night sky by using any of the best cameras for astrophotography, along with a selection of the best lenses for astrophotography.

Read on to find out what's up in the night sky tonight (planets visible now, moon phases, observing highlights this month) plus other resources (skywatching terms, night sky observing tips and further reading)

Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Calendar of observing highlights

Wednesday, April 1 — Jupiter and Venus

The moon still being near full makes it hard to observe many celestial bodies, but you can catch a quick glimpse of both Jupiter and Venus after sunset (7:20 p.m. EDT) and before Venus sets as well. Venus will be hard to miss over the western horizon. It will shine brightly at -3.9 magnitude. Jupiter will not be much harder to find. It will also shine brightly at -2.2 magnitude. It will be easy to locate somewhere between Betelgeuse in Orion and the twin stars, Castor and Pollux, in Gemini.

Wednesday, April 1 — Pink Moon

April's full moon is known as the "Pink Moon," heralding early spring.

Even though the more intense reflected sunlight during a full moon might wash out details, this is still a fine time for observing some popular lunar features. Binoculars or a small telescope will suffice to reveal some interesting details:

Tycho Crater is an easy target thanks to its very visible "rays." It's also always best viewed near a full moon. It's easy to find in the southern area of the moon.

Copernicus Crater is no less interesting. It's nearly 62 miles (100 kilometers) wide with a terraced rim and central peaks. Look for it in the western area of the moon (eastern in the sky).

The Sea of Crises (Mare Crisium) is a good binocular target. It's a lava basin easily located because it is detached from the other lunar seas. It can't be missed in the northeastern limb of the moon (the northwestern area in the sky).

Near the center of the moon, you will find a group of three craters: Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel. They are great targets for amateur telescopes.

And lastly, the long fault line known as the "Straight Wall" (Rupes Recta), which cuts across the moon like a scar.

Friday, April 3 — Mercury in the early morning sky (at 5:48 a.m. EDT)

Mercury will be at its greatest elongation (maximum separation from the sun) in the dawn sky. For the early birds, it will be a good time to observe it in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun rises over the eastern horizon at 6:06 a.m. (EDT). It will not be particularly bright, but it will make an interesting naked eye target.

Exercise extreme caution if you decide to observe Mercury with binoculars or a telescope. Its proximity to the sun poses a severe risk of permanent eye damage. Best practice is to enjoy observing Mercury during those few minutes after it rises above the eastern horizon, before the sun rises.

Binoculars will be a great help in spotting Mercury. If you are using a telescope, the planet will appear roughly 50% illuminated.

Saturday, April 4 — Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) at perihelion

Discovered in early 2026, comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) is a "sungrazer" comet that passes extremely close to the sun today. It may become visible low over the west-northwest horizon in North America shortly after sunset in the evenings following perihelion (if it survives its close passage to the sun). Its proximity to the sun makes it a challenging target. The comet's core might be too low over the horizon to be seen, but its tail might be visible.

Read more: Comet MAPS faces a make-or-break moment as it dives toward the sun on April 4 — could it shine in the daytime sky?

Sunday, April 5 — The Orion Nebula

Before it disappears from the night sky, it's a good time to observe the Orion Nebula (M42). It is one of the rare nebulas visible to the naked eye. M42 can, at first, appear as a faint star just below Orion's belt (the three stars in a row). It's the middle "star" in the sword of Orion, in the classical representation of the constellation. Once your eyes have had a chance to adapt to the dark (by avoiding white light for approximately 20 to 30 minutes), the nebula will appear as a hazy but bright grayish patch. Binoculars are sufficient to show more details of its wing-like shape. Even small telescopes will reveal the bright core. A telescope or powerful binoculars will reveal four close stars within the nebula; they are part of the Trapezium Cluster (some amateur telescopes will show more component stars). An Ultra High Contrast filter will greatly enhance the view of the nebula. Look for Orion above the western horizon.

Monday, April 6 — Lunar Occultation of Antares (at 4 p.m. EDT)

Antares will appear 0.6° north of the moon around 8 p.m. (UT) today. The viewing opportunity will only present itself for observers in some areas of the southern hemisphere. However, both objects will still appear close later in the northern hemisphere's early morning sky.

Antares is an interesting target for amateur astronomers. Also called the "Heart of the Scorpion," it is a bright red supergiant that stands in sharp contrast with the other blue-white stars in Scorpius. It is also a binary system. The secondary star is a fainter, blue-white main-sequence star. It is often used to test the separating power of telescopes. Spotting the companion requires a more powerful telescope, higher magnification and a steady night sky.

Tuesday, April 7 — Moon at Apogee (at 6 a.m. EDT)

The moon will reach apogee today. It will be farthest from Earth in its monthly orbit. The moon rotates around Earth in an elliptical orbit, which explains why it has an apogee (furthest distance from Earth) and a perigee (nearest distance to Earth).

The moon will, therefore, appear smaller and dimmer. When viewed through a telescope, its light will be less harsh, which will allow for better viewing of lunar features along the terminator (the moon will be in its waning gibbous phase).

The moon will also be traveling more slowly (in accordance with Kepler's Second Law). During this phenomenon, the moon's rotation gets ahead of its orbit, which gives rise to another phenomenon called "librations." During librations, there is a possibility of seeing a bit more of the moon's terrain on the eastern or western edges of the lunar limb, which is a phenomenon highly sought out by amateur astronomers.

Wednesday, April 8 — Saturn in the early morning sky (at 6:20 a.m. EDT)

Saturn will emerge in the spring night sky in early April. It will be visible in the morning over the eastern horizon shortly before the sun rises. The best time to observe Saturn will be about 30 to 60 minutes before sunrise (around 6 a.m. EDT). Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, but it might be hard to see in the morning twilight.

Thursday, April 9 — Globular cluster M13 in Hercules (all night)

Globular clusters are some of the most interesting objects to observe in the night sky. M13 in Hercules is a very popular one. It is also called the "Great Globular Cluster" for several reasons: It is easily visible in binoculars and offers a spectacular sight even in amateur telescopes. Under a very dark sky, it will even be visible to the naked eye, appearing as a fuzzy star. It appears higher in the sky later on this spring, but it is already visible above the northeastern horizon after 9 p.m. (EDT).

It is truly a jewel box in the sky. Even low-powered telescopes will resolve some individual stars around the perimeter. Using the "averted vision" technique (by looking slightly to the side of the cluster instead of looking directly at it) will resolve more stars, especially at the core of the cluster.

A good number of other globular clusters are visible in the sky tonight. If you didn't get enough with M13, you can try to spot M3. It is also one of the best globular cluster targets for amateur astronomers. At a magnitude of 6.19, it is bright enough for amateur telescopes. Larger telescopes will resolve the cluster into hundreds of individual stars.

Friday, April 10 — Last quarter moon — M81 and M82 (all night)

The last quarter is a great time to observe Earth's natural satellite, since the shadows along the terminator (the "line" between the light and dark segments of the moon) become more precisely detailed.

While the New moon is best for deep sky observation, the last quarter moon is also a good time for observing deep sky objects. Its brightness will be about 1/6th that of the full moon, which will help spot even some fainter deep sky targets. This is a great opportunity to observe galaxies such as M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (the Cigar Galaxy) in Ursa Major. Both galaxies are deemed excellent targets for beginners.

A low-powered telescope will be sufficient to view them in the same field of view. In the same constellation, M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy) can be seen with binoculars. A telescope will reveal some details and its interaction with a companion galaxy.

Saturday, April 11– Venus at Ascending Node (7:45 p.m. EDT)

Today, Venus crosses the Earth's orbital plane (the ecliptic) as it moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. Venus is moving to a higher position in the northern sky, which means it will be more visible in the northern hemisphere.

Venus will climb higher and set later over the western horizon each night in April. It will shine brightly, earning its "evening star" moniker.

It will still be rather low over the western horizon. Best viewing will be after sunset (around 7:30 p.m. EDT), and before it sets around 9:28 p.m. EDT, before it gets too low to be observed.

Monday, April 13 — Mars and Neptune conjunction

Mars will be within 2° of Neptune during the conjunction on April 13 at 5:59 a.m. EDT (0959 GMT). While the event occurs today, the two planets will remain close throughout the week, providing a great opportunity to observe both planets.

Mars will be somewhat faint, while Neptune will be extremely faint, making this conjunction an interesting event for both beginners and more advanced amateur astronomers. They are targets for early birds, being visible about 30 to 40 minutes before sunrise.

Viewing Neptune will require a telescope. It will not be possible to see both planets in the same field of view of a high-powered telescope, but they will both appear in the field of view of binoculars. In that brief period before sunrise, they will be visible low over the eastern horizon, which will require an unobstructed view.

The duo is preceded by Mercury, and trailed by Saturn, but the ringed planet might still be too low over the horizon by sunrise to be observed safely.

Monday, April 13 — Spot Vega in the daytime sky

You might be able to spy Vega, the fifth-brightest star in the sky, in the daytime... technically. It is high in the sky in the early morning hours, but it is not an easy target. It requires a clear, deep-blue sky, and binoculars or a telescope will make it easier to locate.

Tuesday, April 14 — Planetary nebulas (all night)

The moon being only slightly illuminated and setting before 5 p.m. EDT makes it a good evening for observing planetary nebulas that are good targets for amateur astronomers.

Despite what the name implies, planetary nebulas have nothing to do with planets. Early astronomers coined the name because they looked like faint planets in the telescopes available at the time. A planetary nebula is an expanding shell of ionized gas and dust ejected from stars in their late stages of life.

The most famous planetary nebula is arguably the Ring Nebula (also known as M57 and NGC6720). It is located in the constellation Lyra, rising above the northeastern horizon shortly before 10 p.m. (EDT). Low-powered telescopes will reveal it as a smoke ring. High-powered telescopes will show its characteristic oval shape and interior hole.

If you haven't had enough with M57, there are other spectacular planetary nebulas easily observable in the night sky tonight. The Owl Nebula is an easy target, since it never sets below the horizon. It is located in Ursa Major, and it can be viewed under low magnification. It will appear as a faint disk in small telescopes. Larger telescopes will reveal two dark patches known as its "eyes."

The Ghost of Jupiter (NGC3242) in the constellation Hydra is also an excellent target for beginners.

An ultra-high contrast filter or an oxygen III filter will help improve contrast in light-polluted skies and reveal more details in planetary nebulas.

Wednesday, April 15 — Multiple stars Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major (all night)

Long thought to be an optical pair (stars that appear to be very close together, but that are not bound by gravity), Mizar and Alcor can actually be resolved with the naked eye by observers with good visual acuity. It's also easy to locate; it's the middle star in the handle of the Big Dipper (the asterism made up of some of the stars in the constellation Ursa Major).

Recent research suggests they are likely gravitationally bound, moving together as part of the Ursa Major Moving Group. They are actually a complex system: Mizar is comprised of two sets of binary stars, and Alcor is a binary star.

Thursday, April 16 — Virgo cluster of galaxies (all night)

April is known as "galaxy season" in the northern hemisphere. It is therefore a good time to observe the cluster of galaxies in the constellation Virgo. The cluster is ideally located high in the late evening sky.

While a small-diameter telescope will suffice to observe some of the cluster's members, equipment with a larger aperture (greater than 4 inches, ideally 8+ inches) will be needed to view some of the more famous galaxies, such as M87, M84 and M86.

Markarian's Chain, a string of galaxies within the cluster, is a stunning target for visual observation and astrophotography.

A dark-sky site, away from city light, is required for proper viewing, since galaxies are faint objects. Luckily, the moon will have set by the time the cluster is high in the sky.

Friday, April 17 — Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS)

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a promising comet. It is expected to be visible in both hemispheres this year. Although comets are notorious for failing to shine as brightly as hoped for, predictions for Comet C/2025 R3's brightness would make it visible in binoculars and telescopes. It might even become bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. In the northern hemisphere, the best observing window is from April 17 to April 27.

At perihelion (before its best observing window), the comet will be near the Great Square of Pegasus over the eastern horizon before sunrise. After perihelion, it may switch to the low western horizon after sunset.

A comet's brightness can be very difficult to predict. Scattering of sunlight in its dust tail can make it brighten, but it can also disintegrate as it approaches the sun.

Today is also the new moon, which is an opportune time for deep sky observation without having to worry about lunar glare.

Saturday, April 18 — A meeting of planets (predawn)

The early morning sky provides a rare opportunity to see a planetary alignment before dawn. Mercury, Saturn, Mars and Neptune will appear close together low over the eastern horizon. It is a spectacular sight where Mercury, Mars and Saturn will be visible with the unaided eye. They will, however, be hard to spot, since they will be very low over the horizon, shortly before being lost in the glare of the rising sun. You will need to find an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon in a light pollution-free area. Neptune will be a harder target. The more distant planet will require binoculars or a telescope to view.

The moon will also be close by. Being less than 2% illuminated, its reflected light should not hinder observation much.

Sunday, April 19 — Encounter of the moon and the Pleiades

The moon will appear very close to the Pleiades today. While the closest encounter will only appear during daylight in North America, early evening will still provide a good opportunity of seeing the two objects close together over the western horizon. The moon will only be approximately 9% illuminated, visible yet not so bright as to flush out the Pleiades.

The Pleiades, also known as the "Seven Sisters" (named after the daughters of Atlas in Greek mythology), make up a very popular open star cluster. Some of its constituent stars can be resolved with the naked eye. Although it is much smaller than the Little or Big Dipper, some mistake it for the famous asterisms in Ursa Major. Located in the constellation Taurus, the cluster actually contains over 1,000 stars. The Pleiades are a spectacular sight. Using low magnification allows one to capture the entire star cluster in a single view.

Monday, April 20 — Earthshine (all night)

A thin, crescent moon (either just before or after a new moon) is the ideal time to see earthshine, and all you need is the naked eye. Earthshine, also known as the "Da Vinci glow" or the "ashen glow," is the ghostly illumination of the dark portion of the crescent moon. This illumination comes from sunlight reflected off the Earth.

It is also a very popular binoculars and telescope target, revealing more details of the unlit portion of the moon, including craters such as Aristarchus, Kepler and Copernicus.

Wednesday, April 22 — Lyrids Meteor Shower Peak (all night)

The Lyrids meteor shower peaks in the predawn hours. Even though they are not as impressive as the Perseids in August, the Lyrids are a satisfying and reliable naked eye phenomenon. Observers can expect to see up to 20 meteors per hour. The radiant point lies between the constellations Lyra and Hercules. Bright star Vega in Lyra can be used to locate the radiant point.

The Lyrids are also known for producing fireballs, which are very bright meteors that can display glowing trails of ionized gas in their wake. Although rare, the Lyrids can also produce outbursts with over 100 meteors per hour.

Thursday, April 23 — The moon and the Beehive Cluster

It is best viewed under low magnification in order to fit the whole cluster in the same field of view.

Thursday, April 23 — First Quarter moon

The first quarter is a great moment for lunar observation. At that time, sunlight hits the surface of the moon at a shallow angle, which creates long shadows that emphasize lunar features along the terminator. The shadows along the terminator bring out features in sharp contrast, which is why astronomers prefer the first quarter over the full moon for observation.

It will be high in the late evening sky, which makes it easier to observe. Binoculars and telescopes will reveal interesting details along the terminator, such as the Hercules crater and the Straight Wall, the fault line in the southeastern part of the Sea of Clouds, which is one of the most easily observable escarpments on the lunar surface.

Friday, April 24 — A meeting of Uranus and Venus

Late April represents the last chance of seeing Uranus in the western night sky before it disappears below the horizon before sunset, until it returns to the eastern morning sky later this year.

While it is possible to see Uranus with the naked eye, it requires ideal, dark sky conditions. Its proximity to the glare from sunset today means that binoculars will most likely be needed to find it. Luckily, its proximity to bright Venus will make it easier to locate with binoculars.

Binoculars will reveal Uranus as a faint, pale blue-green dot. At higher magnification, telescopes will reveal it as a tiny disk.

Venus will be very bright to the naked eye. In binoculars, it will appear as a dazzling point of white light. A telescope will reveal its gibbous phase (nearly 90% illuminated).

Saturday, April 25 — Occultation of Regulus by the moon

The full occultation of Regulus by the moon will be visible primarily in parts of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, extending to parts of the southern U.S. Observers in those regions can expect the event to occur roughly between 01:44 and 03:37 UTC (late evening in parts of the Americas). Regulus may be partially occulted or appear very close to the moon in Canada and parts of the U.S.

The moon will be in its waxing gibbous phase and approximately 71% illuminated.

To the naked eye, Regulus appears as a single star, but it is actually a system comprised of four stars. The primary star can easily be separated from its companion using powerful binoculars or a telescope.

Sunday, April 26 — Moon at descending node (all night)

In the early morning, the moon will be crossing the ecliptic from north to south. This event marks one of the two intersecting points in the lunar orbit. It is also a key moment for lunar or solar eclipses. However, eclipses require a full or new moon, while the moon will still be in its waxing gibbous phase today, being approximately 76% illuminated.

Monday, April 27 — Bright Venus over the western horizon (8 p.m. EDT)

The moon being nearly full makes it hard to observe celestial objects, but Venus still shines brightly despite the moonlight. Venus is the spectacular "Evening Star" hanging low over the western horizon after sunset. This is a great time to observe our "sister planet."

This evening, binoculars will reveal its bright gibbous phase (mount or brace the binoculars against a steady object to obtain the best results).

Not as bright, the Pleiades will be visible to the naked eye, a few degrees northwest of Venus. Despite the moonlight, it is a good opportunity to observe the popular open star cluster, also known as the "Seven Sisters."

Tuesday, April 28 — Waxing gibbous moon (all night)

Despite the glare from the 92% illumination, the waxing gibbous phase is a good opportunity to observe interesting lunar features.

The glare can be uncomfortable when observing the moon using binoculars or a telescope, but the terminator (the line splitting the moon between light and dark during its phases) offers the best observation opportunity for some lunar features. The increased contrast improves the observation of features such as craters, seas and mountain ridges.

The discomfort from the glare can be mitigated by using a lunar filter (a neutral density or variable polarizing filter).

If you lack filters, there are alternative ways to minimize glare.

Simple tricks, such as increasing the magnification, will reduce the amount of light entering the eyepiece, dimming the image and making observations more comfortable. Contrary to the usual practice of waiting for dark adaptation before stargazing, it is recommended to view the moon under some ambient lighting located behind your observing position. This prevents the eyes from adapting to the darkness and reduces the blinding effect of moonlight. You can also observe the moon shortly after sunset, while the sky is still somewhat light, which will reduce the perceived glare.

Wednesday, April 29 — Europa occultation by Jupiter (8:48 p.m. EDT)

While the moon is near full (waxing gibbous, 97% illuminated), Jupiter is sufficiently bright to be seen despite the moonlight. Its moons will be visible as points of light in telescopes or binoculars (supporting them on a stable surface or mounting them on a tripod will improve the view).

Jupiter will be high in the night sky of North America around the time of the occurrence. The occultation begins around 8:48 p.m. EDT. Europa will reappear at 11:43 p.m. EDT.

Thursday, April 30 — The moon and Spica (3 a.m. EDT)

In the early morning hours, the moon and Spica will only be a few degrees apart over the southwestern horizon. The moon will be almost full and nearly 98% illuminated. Spica will appear approximately 2° north of the moon.

Spica is one of the brightest stars in the night sky and the brightest one in the constellation Virgo. It is actually a close binary system. The two stars are so close that they cannot be separated by a telescope. Their binary nature can only be revealed using spectroscopic methods.

It is a relevant star to amateur astronomers because it is part of the Diamond of Virgo, which is the asterism made up of Arcturus (in Boötes), Denebola (in Leo), Cor Caroli (in Canes Venatici) and Spica (in Virgo). Spica is a dependable guidepost in that very large asterism for locating the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.

Skywatching terms

Gibbous: Used to describe a planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated.

Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.

Degrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It's easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky, while a finger covers about one degree.

Visual Magnitude: This is the astronomer's scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude -4.9. The full moon is -12.7 and the sun is -26.8.

Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.

Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.

Night sky observing tips

Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe fainter objects, such as meteors, dim stars, nebulas, and galaxies, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Avoid looking at your phone's bright screen by keeping it tucked away. If you must use it, set the brightness to minimum — or cover it with clingy red film.

Light Pollution: Even from a big city, one can see the moon, a handful of bright stars, and the brightest planets — if they are above the horizon. But to fully enjoy the heavens — especially a meteor shower, the fainter constellations, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that is the disk of our home galaxy, the Milky Way — rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you're stuck in a city or suburban area, use a tree or dark building to block ambient light (or moonlight) and help reveal fainter sky objects. If you're in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.

Prepare for skywatching: If you plan to be outside for more than a few minutes, and it's not a warm summer evening, dress more warmly than you think is necessary. An hour of winter observing can chill you to the bone. For meteor showers, a blanket or a lounge chair will prove to be much more comfortable than standing or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.

Daytime skywatching: On the days surrounding the first quarter, the moon is visible in the afternoon daytime sky. At last quarter, the moon rises before sunrise and lingers in the morning sky. When Venus is at a significant angle away from the sun, it can often be spotted during the day as a brilliant point of light — but you'll need to consult an astronomy app to know when and where to look for it. When large sunspots develop on the sun, they can be seen without a telescope — as long as you use proper solar filters, such as eclipse glasses. Permanent eye damage can occur if you look at the sun for any length of time without protective eyewear.