Today:
April opens with a visual challenge in the western skies. A waxing Crescent Moon appears just above the star cluster, the Seven Sisters, or the Pleiades, due west, one third of the way up at 8:15, settling lower and to the right through the evening. The Moon’s light will make them harder to see, with perhaps only the 3 or 4 brightest stars visible. A pair of binoculars or a spotting scope will make viewing them much easier.

Wednesday:
A wide, waxing Crescent Moon appears to the upper right of the giant planet Jupiter this evening, nearly two-thirds of the way up in the bright twilight near 7:30, settling to half way up, and closer to due west near the end of twilight an hour later. They’ll enjoy a second rendezvous at the end of the month.

Thursday:
The waxing Moon presides high over the bright collection of stars in the southwest and west. Jupiter is the brightest object, well below the Moon, with the brighter stars Capella well right, and Procyon, the Little Dog, well left. Below, appearing to stand along the horizon, the mighty Orion gets ready to depart for his summer’s rest by late this month.