Naked Eye Astronomy – April 2025

📝 Steven Burr

M45 Pleiades (Photo: Steven Burr)

The Moon

April started off with the waxing crescent moon passing close to the star cluster Pleiades shortly after sunset on the 1st.  This was a gorgeous sight with a pair of binoculars.  On the 5th of April, we had the first quarter moon with Mars passing just 2° south of it.  The full Pink Moon arrives on the 13th of April and according to the Farmer’s Almanac, its name originates from the appearance of one of the springs first wildflowers the Moss Pink (Phlox subulata).  This will be the smallest full moon of 2025 as the moon will be at apogee, the farthest point of its orbit away from the earth.  On the 21st of April, the last quarter moon arrives followed by a new moon on the 27th.

The Planets

Venus has now become visible in the morning hours just before sunrise. On the 25th of April Venus passes within 2° north of the waning crescent moon. You will have to get up earlier to view this event which will take place low on the eastern horizon. Mars is still visible in the evening hours and will remain so for the rest of the month as it moves from the constellation of Gemini into Cancer. On the 5th of April, Mars passed just 2° south of the first quarter moon. If you haven’t recognized Mars before in the night sky, go outside shortly after sunset and look for the first quarter moon to the South, Mars will be just below it and to the right (SW). Jupiter remains visible in the early evening sky, but your opportunity to view it is shortening as its elongation from the sun diminishes. If you have a good pair of binoculars, try picking out Jupiter’s four brightest moons: IO, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Saturn is now lost within the Sun’s glare but it will reappear by the end of the month as a morning planet.

Lyrid Meteor Shower

Starting around the 15th of the month, earth will be passing through debris left behind by the Comet Thatcher. This meteor shower will reach its peak on 22nd/23rd and tappers off by 29th of April. Since we have a waning crescent moon at the peak of the meteor shower, it might be best to view this spectacle on the 21st prior to the moon rise. Go outside shortly before midnight and look to the East just above the horizon, Lyra the constellation where the meteors will appear to originate from will be visible. You may expect to see 10 to 15 meteors per hour.

Constellation Gemini

Gemini_(From: Urania’s Mirror 1825)

Gemini is situated on the ecliptic between Cancer to the East and Taurus to the West. Recognizable by the two prominent stars Pollux and Castor, Gemini is an easy constellation to spot. It is part of the Zodiac described by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. According to Greek Mythology, Zeus placed the twins Castor and Pollux in the heavens as a reward for their dutiful behaviour. The name Gemini is Latin for twins. This constellation has very old origins and predates the Greeks identification of it. The Babylonians identified this constellation as the Great Twins who guarded the entrances to the underworld.

References (April and May blog post):

2025 Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower [online]. EarthSky, [cited 4 January 2025].

Available from: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-eta-aquarid-meteor-shower/

2025 Lyrid Meteor Shower [online], EarthSky, [cited 4 January 2025].

Available from: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-lyrid-meteor-shower/

Boeckmann, Catherine, Full Moon Names 2025 [online]. Almanac, updated January 2025 [cited 3 January 2025].

Available from: https://www.almanac.com/full-moon-names

Edgar, James S. ed., RASC Observer’s Handbook 2025, ed. by James S. Edgar (Marquis Book Printing, 2024)

Hard, Robin, Eratosthenes & Hyginus: Constellation Myths (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015)

Mortillaro, Nicole, RASC 2025 Night Sky Almanac (Richmond Hill: Firefly Books, 2024)

White, Gavin, Babylonian Star-Lore: An Illustrated Guide to the Star-Lore & Constellations of Ancient Babylonia (London: Solaria Publications, 2014)