Today:
Rising in the east-southeast as twilight yields to darkness between 8:15 and 8:30, a steely-blue star rises in the east-southeast, the brightest star in Virgo, the Virgin, Spica. One way to find it is to follow the “arc” of the Big Dipper’s handle, high in the northeast, down and right to the bright, pale orange star “Arc”-turus. Then continue to the lower right, and “spike” to Spica.
Saturday:
For reasons that scientists don’t yet understand, the aurora borealis, or “northern lights” are seen more frequently in April. The Sun, which appears to have reached its 11 year maximum in late 2024 or early 2025, will remain active for at least another year or two. This represents the best period of time for seeing some northern lights over the next few years.
Sunday:
To the left of Orion’s belt, the brilliant star in the southwest is Sirius, known as the Dog Star, and the brightest star in the sky. As it lowers closer to the horizon, notice that as it twinkles, it flashes many colors. Its light is bending on its way through our atmosphere, giving us pin-point glimpses of its spectrum or rainbow, one color at a time.