Derekscope

This observation will be possible about 30 minutes before sunrise, if the eastern horizon is unobstructed.

Meteor Showers – Lyrids

• Beginning to ending date: 15th April to 28th May
• Peak Date: 22nd April
• Rating: Strong
• Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 15 per hour
• Radiant Position: RA: 18h 08m / DEC: +32°
• Degrees: 272º  (Face:- East at midnight & moving to South at 4am)
• Comet: Comet Thatcher

Note: Today sees the meteor showers reach its peak at around 14:00 / 2pm (BST), meaning that the best observing times are this morning and from darkness the evening (Tuesday 22nd April) through to dawn on Wednesday 23rd April 2025.

Mercury will reach its greatest elongation east – meaning it will be farthest from the Sun in the morning sky.

Despite being at its greatest elongation, Mercury will be a morning planet in April 2025, and its position is not outcome likely for viewing from the UK, making it unlikely to be visible. 

A red supergiant is about 76,000 times more luminous than our Sun that appears as a bright reddish dot to the naked eye; to easily find Antares in the sky in your exact location, use the Moon following upper right to spot the bright reddish dot.

Great opportunity for astrophotography – two of Jupiter’s moons appearing just below the planet’s edge ~ really a fantastic sight in a pair of binoculars or telescope view.

Great opportunity for astrophotography that Main-Belt asteroid, 8 Flora passed in the front of the galaxy, NGC3286 in the constellation Leo.

Three rising planets in the twilight morning are Venus, Mercury and Saturn in the eastern sky with Venus being brightest and servicing as a guide to find the dimmer Mercury and Saturn.

Tonight the Moon, in its first quarter phase, will appear near Mars, with the Moon lying approximately 1.6 degrees south of Mars. 

The Moon and Jupiter will have a close approach, visible to the naked-eye above the west-northwest.

There is a lunar occultation of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) visible from the UK tonight, as the Moon passes in front of the cluster.
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How to sign occultation in BSL?