Hello ...
Here's your Cosmic Pursuits newsletter for April 2026!
1. Venus and the crescent Moon put on a fine show in the western sky after dawn this month, while Jupiter lingers in Gemini and remains splendid in a telescope. A gaggle of planets lie low over the eastern horizon before sunrise. And a meteor shower – the Lyrids – makes its annual appear with the Moon mostly out of the way. Here’s what to see in the night sky this month. Here's what to see in the Night Sky This Month...
2. The Kreutz sungrazer Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) commences its close approach to the sun in the first days of April. Will
it survive and grow bright enough to see without optical aid? Or will it disintegrate and fade away? No one know for sure. But Bob King at Sky&Telescope summarizes the comet's current trajectory and lets you know when and where to look for it in the next few days in a comprehensive article at
this link.
3. Auriga has moved west of the zenith this month, but let's take a tour of the best sights in this ancient constellation with a pair of binoculars or your favorite smart telescope.
4. Maria Popova at The Marginalian tells the story of the lunar and stellar cartographer Johannes Hevelius who lost most of his life's work in a tragic fire, but who manages to (almost) finish his
ground breaking star catalog towards the end of his days.
5. As a follow up to his video on his favorite refractors, Ed Ting explains what reflector he would own if he could own only one
reflector.
And the quote of the month:
“Set your course by the
stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.”
- Omar Bradley
Please share this email with anyone who may
be interested. If you're not already a subscriber to Cosmic Pursuits, you can sign up here.
Wishing you clear skies!
Brian Ventrudo
Publisher
CosmicPursuits.com
