Back to home

Sky Chart For The Month of April, 2023

ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR APRIL 2023

The Moon

 Full Moon occurs on 6that h.10-04 I.S.T.   

 First Quarter occurs on 9th at h.12–18 I.S.T

Full Moon occurs on 17th at h.0–25 I.S.T

 First Quarter occurs on 28th at h. 2-50 I.S.T

The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 21st.

The Moon is at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 16th of this month and at Apogee or farthest from the Earth on 28th.

 

The Moon passes about 3½º south of Saturn on 16th, about 2½º south of Neptune on 17th,  just north of Jupiter on 19th, about 2° south of Mercury on 21st, about 1½º north of Uranus after sunset of 21st, about 1½° north of Venus after sunset of 23rd, about 3º north of Mars on 26th.

 

Eclipse

 

Solar Eclipse: Annular total eclipse of the sun will occur on 20th April 2023. The eclipse begins at 7-05 I.S.T. and ends at 12-29 I.S.T. The eclipse will not be visible in India.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The Planets

Visibility of Planets

Mercury: The planet sets about 1 hour to 1½ hour after sunset upto second quarter the month, about 1½ hour to 1 hour after it upto 24th of the month. From 25th planet is too close to the Sun to be visible. The planet is at Perihelion or nearest to the Sun in its orbit on 1st. It is in Greatest Eastern Elongation of about 19½º from the Sun on 12th. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth from 21st.

Venus: The planet sets about 2½ hours to 3 hours after sunset throughout the month. The planet is at Perihelion or nearest to the Sun in its orbit on 17th.

Mars: The planet sets close to local midnight upto first quarter of the month, from close to local midnight to about ½ hour before it upto the third quarter of month, about ½ hour to 1 hour before it for the remaining days of the month.

Jupiter: The planet is too close to the Sun to be visible upto 28th of the month. From 29th the planet rises in Eastern sky about ½ hour before sunrise for the remaining days of the month. The planet is in Conjunction with Sun on 12th.

Saturn: The planet rises about 2 hours to 2½ hours before sunrise upto second quarter of the month, about 2½ hours to 3 hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Uranus:The planet sets about 2½ hours to 2 hours after sunset upto first quarter of the month, about 2 hours to 1½ hours after it upto second quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 1 hour after it upto 23rd  of the month. From 24th the planet is too close to the Sun to be visible.

Neptune: The planet is too close to the sun to be visible upto 3rd of month. From 4th the planet rises about 1 hour before sunrise upto first quarter of the month, about 1 hour to 1½ hours before it upto third quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Conjunction of Planets:

Venus passes about 7½º north of Aldebaran (Rohini) on 21st.

 

Planets

Planets in Zodiacal Constellation

Magnitude

Mercury (Budha)

 Remains in Aries (Mesha).

-1.1 to +0.0   +0.0 to +5.4

Venus (Sukra)

 Moves from Aries (Mesha) to Taurus (Vrisha) on 6th.

-4.0 to -4.1

Mars (Mangala)

 Remains in Gemini (Mithuna).

+1.0 to +1.3

Jupiter (Brihaspati)

 Moves from Pisces (Mina) to Aries (Mesha) on 22nd.

-2.1 to -2.0

Saturn (Sani)

 Remains in Aquarius (Kumbha).

+0.9

Uranus

 Remains in Aries (Mesha).

+6.0

Neptune

 Remains in Pisces (Mina).

+8.0

 

Source : : Director

Positional Astronomy Centre

India Meteorological Department

Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700 091