Through the end of the month, early risers will be rewarded with spectacular views of the planets, and the daily display will be even more remarkable at the start of next week.
Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn have formed a line in the early morning sky, and will remain thus for the rest of April.
In the eastern sky, the quartet may be seen without a telescope, and another celestial object will join the alignment early next week.
On Monday, April 25, and Tuesday, April 26, the crescent moon will appear near the four planets approximately an hour before sunrise.
Because the event is a two-day affair, people can check the AccuWeather forecast to determine which morning will provide the best viewing conditions before getting up early to take in the sights in the eastern sky.
A fifth planet will be buried in plain sight near the bottom of the alignment, causing only a few people to detect it.
On April 25 and April 26, Neptune will pass close to Venus and Jupiter, but it will be difficult to observe without a telescope because the planet is too dark to see without one.
Because it will appear directly between Jupiter and Venus, people who are new to using a telescope will have some assistance finding the faraway world.
Before sunrise, Neptune will appear as a little blue dot, standing out among the other planets and stars visible in this area of the sky.
On April 30 and May 1, the morning planets will be worth another look when Jupiter and Venus pass very near to one other.
This is known as a conjunction by astronomers, and it will be the closest Jupiter and Venus have appeared in the night sky since November 24, 2019.
The annual Lyrid meteor shower will be active through April 29, so skywatchers should keep a look out for shooting stars.
To read our blog on “The Space Research Community considers sending a probe to Uranus a top priority,” click here.
