Southern Skywatch April 2023 edition is now out!

Partial Eclipse as seen from Darwin near maximum eclipse, 13:51 ACST. Simulated in Stellarium.

On 20th April the Sun will be eclipsed at the very edge of Australia, the path of totality will pass over the northwest cape in WA.

The rest of Australia sees a partial eclipse, with WA having the best view, Broome and Geraldton see >80% of the Sun covered: Darwin 80%, Perth 71%, Cairns 50%M Townsville 36% and Adelaide 21%. the partial eclipse begins around 10 am local time WA, 12 pm central states and 1 pm Eastern states.

The April edition of Southern Skywatch is now up.  

Daylight sayings ends. The planetary action is still largely in the evening skies, with Venus and Mars prominent and bright. Mercury enters the evening twilight but will be almost impossible to see. Saturn climbs higher in the morning sky. Jupiter enters the morning twilight late in the month. Total Solar eclipse in WA.

April 1-2, Mars close to open cluster M35. April 10-12; Venus and Pleiades cluster close. April 6; Full Moon. April 13; Last Quarter Moon. April 16-17; the thin crescent moon near Saturn in the morning twilight. April 20; Moon at perigee. April 20; New Moon, solar eclipse. April 23; the crescent Moon is very close to Venus in the twilight. April 26; the Moon is close to Mars. April 28; First Quarter Moon. April 28; apogee Moon.

Mercury enters the evening sky but remains deep in the twilight. On the 12th it is at its furthest from the sun, but will be difficult to see above the western horizon even if you have a level, unobstructed horizon.

  Venus climbs yet higher in the evening sky this month; the low angle of the ecliptic means it never gets really high although it is prominent at nautical twilight, Venus is also (just) visible when the sky is full dark. Venus has two close encounters this month. From the 10th to the 12th Venus and the iconic Pleiades cluster are close, good in binoculars, difficult telescopically, the days leading up to and shortly after the close approach will be nice as well. From the 15th to 19th Venus will be below the Hyades. On the 23rd Venus will be just 3° from the crescent moon, making a nice binocular sight. But the 30th Venus will be between Elnath and Zeta Taurii. Venus currently looks like a gibbous Moon.

Mars is well past opposition this Month but is still prominent, Mars is shrinking in telescopic view and is less attractive as a target. At the start of the Month Mars is close to the open cluster M35, an excellent sight in binoculars. After being so long in Taurus, Mars now enters Gemini and is close to Epsilon Geminorum on the 14th.

On the 26th Mars is around 5° from the waxing moon (very obvious as the brightest object near the moon), mid power binocular fields will just fit the pair in.

Jupiter is lost to view for most of the month, entering the morning twilight late in the month. It will not be easy to see until May.

Saturn climbs higher in the morning skies and is now readily visible an hour before sunrise. On the 16th to 17th Saturn is bracketed by the thin cresent moon low in the morning skies.