In the Sky This Month

Spica, the leading light of Virgo, appears close to the lower right of the almost-full Moon at nightfall. The bright star will be closer below the Moon as they prepare to set at first light tomorrow.

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is low in the southeast at first light. It looks like a brilliant star. It will rise earlier and stand higher in the sky as the weeks roll by.

Orion, the hunter, is bowing out of the evening sky. He’s low in the west at nightfall, and his stars begin dropping from view not long afterward. The constellation will be all but lost from sight by the middle of May.

The Moon follows the heart of the lion across the sky tonight. The heart is represented by the bright star Regulus. It stands to the right of the Moon as evening twilight fades. The gap between them will be a little wider as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

Regulus, the bright star that marks the heart of Leo, the lion, huddles to the lower left of the Moon as night falls. The two celestial bodies will appear closer together as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

The Lyrid meteor shower is building toward its peak late tomorrow night. Unfortunately, the gibbous Moon will be in the way during the peak hours, so only a few of the shower’s “shooting stars” are likely to shine through.

Pollux and Castor, the twins of Gemini, line up to the right of the Moon at nightfall. The trio forms an equally spaced line, with brighter Pollux closer to the Moon.

Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, is high in the east as night falls. The constellation represents two dogs held on a leash by Boötes, the herdsman. Canes Venatici is well to the upper left of bright yellow-orange Arcturus, the brightest star of Boötes.

The Moon and Mars drop down the western sky this evening. They are high in the sky at nightfall, with Mars, which looks like a fairly bright star, to the lower right of the Moon. They set by 1 or 2 a.m.

Mars follows the Moon down the sky this evening. The planet looks like a fairly bright orange star to the upper left of the Moon. A similarly bright star, El Nath, stands about the same distance to the upper right of the Moon.