Astronomical events to look forward to this month [April 2024]

moon eclipse astronomical events — There is a dazzling array of astronomical events this April. (Photo by Jongsun Lee on Unsplash)

This April is full of exciting astronomical events you won’t want to miss — grab your telescopes and binoculars, head outside and get ready for a total solar eclipse, a meteor shower and more.

New Moon — April 8

black and white crescent moon — Catch the New Moon this month. (Photo by Lenstravelier on Unsplash)

Starting at around 1:22PM on Monday, April 8, the Moon will be on the same side of the Earth as the Sun. During this time and into the night, you won’t be able to see the Moon, but it may be easier to see faint objects in the night sky like galaxies and star clusters.

Total Solar Eclipse — April 8

solar eclipse viewing — Visit the eclipse viewing event at UAH! (alabamaphysics.com)

If you weren’t able to view the last total solar eclipse in 2017, be sure to catch this one, as the next won’t be until 2045! If you’re unfamiliar with what a total solar eclipse is, it occurs when the Moon completely blocks the Sun, revealing the Sun’s beautiful corona (the star’s outermost atmosphere). Check out NASA’s eclipse map for a detailed view of the eclipse’s path.

There will be a viewing event for this astronomical event from 12-3PM on the Charger Union Lawn at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), sponsored by Future Technologies & Enabling Plasma Processes (FTPP), the UAH Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research and NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP).

Lyrids Meteor Shower — April 22-23

silhouette of hill during night time — The Lyrids Shower is known to produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. (Photo by Fernando Rodrigues on Unsplash)

From Monday, April 22 through Tuesday, April 23, you can watch the peak of the Lyrids Meteor Shower. The best way to view this shower is from a dark location after midnight. The shower is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), which was discovered in 1861 by A. E. Thatcher.

Full Moon — April 23

cold moon full moon — A full moon is an astronomical event you can always count on being beautiful. (“Full Cold Moon 2018” by Thomas Cizauskas is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The Full Moon this month was once known as the Pink Moon by early Native American tribes, because it marked the appearance of one of the first spring flowers, the creeping phlox. Starting at around 6:50PM on Tuesday, April 23, you can witness the Full Moon.

If you’re able to see any of these astronomical events and get some pictures, we would love to see them! Share your pictures on social media and tag us or DM us at @hvilleblast.

Want guides like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter today.