From Your Backyard

There’s plenty to see in the sky this month, starting with the brilliant planet Venus hanging just above the western horizon from 30 to 45 minutes after sunset. Venus will appear slightly higher every night and will dominate the western evening sky until September.

Once you have found Venus, use it to locate elusive Mercury. As the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury usually hides in the glare sunset or sunrise, but this month it peeks out for us to see. To locate Mercury, look for a lone point of light between Venus and the horizon below. Try looking for Mercury with binoculars first. This may make it easier to spot this shy planet with your unaided eyes.

On April 15, a sliver-thin crescent Moon will appear right next to Mercury for a bonus binocular treat. Then, on the evening of April 16, the Moon will appear above Venus and just below the Pleiades star cluster. The Moon and the Pleiades will make a pretty grouping, especially through binoculars.

Meanwhile, Mars is on the wane, shining faintly between Gemini the twins and Leo the lion. The first quarter Moon will be near Mars on April 21, but its brightness will mostly wash out the planet’s dim orange dot.

Even though Mars is fading into the background, there is plenty of news from Mars’ surface. Mars rover Spirit is in hibernation and may not survive the brutal martian winter. Her twin Opportunity is on the road to Endeavour Crater. You can follow their continuing sagas at marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov or even follow them on Twitter at @marsrovers for the latest news from this exciting mission.

Less glamorous but no less exciting are the three active spacecraft currently orbiting Mars. Mars Odyssey continues to return valuable data and relay communications from the twin Mars rovers. Mars Express returned spectacular new views of Mars’ larger moon Phobos in early March.

Probably the most dramatic images have been coming from the high-resolution HiRISE camera aboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Recent discoveries include shifting sand dunes and avalanches spotted in progress. Visit our Mars Update web site to find links to images, videos, articles, and much more around the web regarding the red planet.

On April 25, Saturn will be the dim, yellow star in the east between a bright gibbous Moon and the tail of Leo the lion. Saturn is much easier to see when the bright Moon is not so close, so check back in a few nights once the Moon has moved away from Saturn. Saturn provides a lovely target for a telescope. For even more incredible views of this ringed beauty, visit the website for the Cassini spacecraft at saturn.jpl.nasa.gov.

Get out before the Sun rises to catch Jupiter rising very low in the eastern sky. On the morning of April 11 a slim crescent Moon will hang just above Jupiter. If you don’t have a clear eastern horizon, try again near the end of the month, when Jupiter will be much higher in the dawn sky.

To Worlds Beyond

Get ready to discover the planets, the stars and many more exciting destinations on Astronomy Day, Saturday, April 17, 2010, as the Sudekum Planetarium and the Adventure Science Center take you To Worlds Beyond.

From 12:00 to 4:00 pm, members of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society and Austin-Peay State University Physics Club will be stationed throughout the Space Chase exhibits to demonstrate Newton’s Laws of Motion and build scale models of the solar system. Outside, (weather permitting) we’ll be creating impact craters.

Cosmic Ray’s will be the site for presentations on Cutting-Edge Science and the challenges of Living in Space.

Sudekum Planetarium shows will take you on a tour of our current night sky, examine the planets of our Solar System, bring you up close and personal with the most immense stars and even take you back in time to visit the seven wonders of the ancient world. Before leaving the Science Center, be sure to vote in the Pluto Poll. Is Pluto a planet? You might want to see Nine Planets and Counting in the Sudekum Planetarium before making your decision.

Upcoming Star Parties

The next two FREE public star parties are set for Saturday, April 17 from 8:00 to 10:00 pm at Adventure Science Center and Saturday, May 15 from 8:30 to 10:30 at the Visitor Information Center at Longhunter State Park.

At these family-friendly events, Barnard Seyfert Astronomical Society members will set up telescopes to provide views of Saturn, Mars, the Moon, and much more.

If the weather is cloudy, the star party will be cancelled. If the weather is questionable, call AstroLine at (615) 401-5092 or check our web site before traveling.