[Energetic music]
[Preston Dyches] What's Up for April?
Some easy-to-spot planets,
there's still time
to observe comet 12P,
and how to enjoy
this month's solar eclipse
if you're not in the path of totality.
For several days
in the first half of April,
early risers can watch Mars
and Saturn rising together
in the morning.
Taking a look about
half an hour before sunrise, you can find them low
in the east, about 10 degrees
above the horizon.
They're at their closest
on April 10th and 11th, but
still really close in the sky the whole second week of April.
Now, on the evening of April 10th
you can find the Moon with Jupiter
in the west.
Jupiter's easy to identify
as a bright, unflickering light,
low in the west following sunset, all month.
Being just a couple of days
after its "new moon" phase, the Moon shows
only 7% of its
illuminated surface on this evening, making for a
beautiful crescent shining there with the giant planet Jupiter.
This is also a good night to have a look for comet
12P/Pons-Brooks,
which has been getting brighter,
and is easily observable with binoculars
or a small telescope,
especially if you can get away
from bright city lights.
The comet will be just beneath the Moon,
and just right of Jupiter, but you'll have to be quick,
as it drops below 10 degrees elevation
an hour after sunset
and then sets an hour later.
So you'll want a clear
view toward the horizon,
and be looking for it
as twilight ends.
If you want to catch this comet, do it soon,
because it will be too close to the Sun in the sky
to observable after
mid-April, and later
when it makes its closest approach to Earth,
it will be on its way outward
from the Sun and growing fainter.
There's a total solar eclipse
on the way, and it's
kind of a big deal.
We've been really fortunate
to have two total eclipses
visible across a wide swath of the U.S. recently,
first in 2017,
and now on April 8th, 2024.
The next time such an eclipse will cross
the States is 21 years from now.
If you live in or near
the path of totality,
or you're traveling there
to experience the eclipse, you're in
for an incredible experience.
But what if you're not going to be able
to experience totality
for this eclipse in person?
What can you expect,
and how can you still enjoy it?
Well for starters, NASA has you covered
with a live webcast,
from multiple locations, as the Moon's
shadow moves across the country.
So join us for the total eclipse online,
whatever your plans.
If you're anywhere
in the continental U.S.
outside of totality,
you'll still experience
a partial solar eclipse.
The amount of the Sun to be covered
by the Moon at maximum eclipse
depends on how far you are
from the path of totality.
In observing a partial eclipse,
you'll still need to use
specialized eye protection,
such as eclipse glasses,
a pinhole projector,
or a telescope with a solar filter.
One of the easiest methods is something
most of us have in our kitchen –
a regular colander.
These make excellent
pinhole cameras that project the eclipse
onto the ground.
And barring that,
the sun dapples that filter
through the tree leaves do something very similar.
It's also fun to note the eerie way
the sunlight dims during the eclipse,
especially in places
where the Moon covers 80%
or more of the Sun's disk.
NASA has a bunch of eclipse resources to help
you get ready for this awe-inspiring
celestial event.
There's info on safe-viewing,
citizen science opportunities,
and you'll even find
our "eclipse explorer," where you can find
eclipse details for your specific zip code.
From wherever you're observing,
solar eclipses are remarkable events.
So observe safely,
and join our live webcast,
because it's an event you
surely don't want to miss.
Here are the phases
of the Moon for April.
Stay up to date on NASA's missions
exploring the solar system and beyond
at science.nasa.gov.
I'm Preston Dyches from NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
and that's What's Up for this month.