Today:
Tonight comes the expected peak of the Lyrid Meteor Shower. Look to the northeast around 10 PM. To the right of the bright star Vega, the Lyrids will be concentrated between the constellations Lyra and Hercules, and will lift high in the eastern sky. An average of 10 to 20 “shooting stars” is best viewed after midnight, until a waning Crescent rises, one-third illuminated, near 3 o’clock.
Tuesday:
For reasons that scientists don’t yet understand, the aurora borealis, or “northern lights” are seen more frequently in April. The Sun, unusually quiet over the past few years, now shows a significant increase in sunspots and other solar activity, improving our chances of seeing some northern lights over the next few years.
Wednesday:
Orion is now very low in the western skies, by the end of twilight, his feet along the horizon by 9:00 PM, with his belt only visible with a perfect view to the west and southwest. Orion’s stars are among the brightest in the sky because they are relatively close by. Our Sun is among millions in a minor band of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy called the Orion Spur.