{"id":606,"date":"2026-04-17T21:27:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=606"},"modified":"2026-04-17T21:27:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:27:00","slug":"april-2026-new-moon-brings-spectacular-views-of-hydra-jupiter-venus-and-more-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=606","title":{"rendered":"April 2026 new moon brings spectacular views of Hydra, Jupiter, Venus, and more this week"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-946126b2-07bb-4a82-a506-0aff089302f7\">April&#8217;s new moon has arrived, bringing with it several nights of spectacular dark skies perfect for viewing our solar system&#8217;s planets, majestic constellations, and the galaxy beyond.<\/p>\n<p>April&#8217;s <u>new moon<\/u> Occurred on April 17th at 7:52 a.m. EDT (GMT 1152), the moon <u>solar<\/u> The Earth is no longer visible in the daytime sky, and its entire backside is covered in shadow.<\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-946126b2-07bb-4a82-a506-0aff089302f7-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">The moonless nights surrounding this stage are the best time to indulge in sky observation and night sky photography. <u>constellation<\/u> And deep sky objects, often lost behind a veil of moonlight, shine in the twilight realm.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            you may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"visible-planets-3\">visible planet<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-405e2bb1-fe7b-494c-95ae-aa42abcd1700\">If you look to the west just after sunset on April 17th, you will see <u>Venus<\/u> It appears 15 degrees above the horizon as a bright evening star, accompanied by pale stars. <u>Pleiades star cluster<\/u> An open star cluster shining at 10 degrees above the sky. It&#8217;s about the same width as your fist when your arms are extended.<\/p>\n<p>ice giant <u>Uranus<\/u> It is located a little less than 5 degrees to the lower left of the star cluster. Without very dark skies and perfect visibility, it&#8217;s too dim to see with the naked eye, but binoculars or a small telescope can spot the disk as a tiny greenish dot. <u>According to telescope manufacturer Celestron,<\/u>.<\/p>\n<p><u>Jupiter<\/u>Meanwhile, it shines high above your head. <u>caster<\/u> and <u>Pollux<\/u> \u2014 the brightest stars <u>Gemini<\/u>. If you point your 6-inch telescope at Jupiter, you might notice a line of bright spots extending outward from Jupiter. <u>gas giant<\/u>colorful discs. They are <u>galileo satellite<\/u> <u>Io<\/u>, <u>Ganymede<\/u>, <u>europa<\/u> and <u>callisto<\/u>!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-7970929d-6fc7-45a6-a0f5-8eea0e6b4f97\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/N7yt74YPDvXjWhgYirEEF6-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/N7yt74YPDvXjWhgYirEEF6-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/N7yt74YPDvXjWhgYirEEF6-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/N7yt74YPDvXjWhgYirEEF6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/N7yt74YPDvXjWhgYirEEF6-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/N7yt74YPDvXjWhgYirEEF6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"><br \/>\n<\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Before dawn on April 18th, four planets lurk on the eastern horizon. <\/span><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Created by Anthony Wood on Canva.)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-46820a85-861a-48f6-b4f2-191503967948\">Leaving an hour before sunrise on April 18 will give you a clear view of the eastern horizon and a chance to catch the planet&#8217;s triangle rising in the dawn glow.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-8ty2Yk4jV5EtihowuhbhwW\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-8ty2Yk4jV5EtihowuhbhwW slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Breaking the latest in space news, rocket launches, skywatching events, and more.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><u>Mars<\/u> Sitting higher in the sky, <u>Saturn<\/u> and below <u>mercury<\/u> It will come off to the right. <u>Neptune<\/u> It also exists to the upper right of Mercury, but the distant ice giant would be too faint to be spotted with the naked eye.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"stars-and-constellations-3\">stars and constellations<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-b6469129-eee9-4730-9a4f-4774aaeb6f71\">The dark nights around the new moon are the perfect time to explore some of the subtle constellations that shine in the Northern Hemisphere&#8217;s skies.<\/p>\n<p>First, find the sickle-shaped formation. <u>star<\/u> This represents the head and chest of the great lion, represented by the constellation Leo. This lion can be seen high above the southern horizon in April with the bright star Regulus at its base.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-bbbaeb8c-1a74-4203-8fed-3b5e70ad0f6a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776504050_583_April-2026-new-moon-brings-spectacular-views-of-Hydra-Jupiter.jpg\" alt=\"A star map showing the positions of prominent constellations on the southern horizon in mid-April.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-1200-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/W872qzYjmCHepNRWA2K3VX-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776504050_583_April-2026-new-moon-brings-spectacular-views-of-Hydra-Jupiter.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776504050_583_April-2026-new-moon-brings-spectacular-views-of-Hydra-Jupiter.jpg\" class=\"inline expandable\"\/><br \/>\n<\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">How to find Hydra in the evening sky. <\/span><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Created by Anthony Wood on Canva.)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-26fbd67e-2584-4a48-aaf2-be559537b5af\">Next, look to the lower right of Regulus and you&#8217;ll see a ring of stars representing the head of the serpent in the constellation Hydra, and a series of stars winding east towards the horizon to mark its tail. Hydra is the largest constellation in the night sky, but it is often overlooked due to its lack of bright stars.<\/p>\n<p>Perched along the back of Hydra are the compact constellations Corvus and Crater. To their east is a pale light; <u>Spica<\/u> \u2014 the brightest star in the world <u>zodiac sign virgo<\/u>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-a54d46a1-c718-4df3-bf94-f0a56500f2d6\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776504050_705_April-2026-new-moon-brings-spectacular-views-of-Hydra-Jupiter.jpg\" alt=\"A star map showing the locations of galactic chains.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-1200-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MYwdEJADViki7mYFDgAoDW-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776504050_705_April-2026-new-moon-brings-spectacular-views-of-Hydra-Jupiter.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776504050_705_April-2026-new-moon-brings-spectacular-views-of-Hydra-Jupiter.jpg\" class=\"inline expandable\"\/><br \/>\n<\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">How to find the Markarian chain between Virgo, Leo and Coma Bernice. <\/span><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Created by Anthony Wood on Canva)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-53f961e6-ee1f-4f6d-bdba-85ede2b70aef\">To observe the deep sky, why not go to a place with a dark sky and use a telescope to observe the part of the sky where Leo, Virgo, and Coma constellations intersect.<\/p>\n<p>First, use our handy tools to find Denebora and Vindemiatrix, the Lion&#8217;s Tail stars in the constellation Leo. <u>Astronomical observation app<\/u>. Approximately halfway between the two is <u>Markarian Chain<\/u> &#8211; A spectacular line of galaxies, whose ancient light can be observed using modest telescopes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>read more: <\/strong><u>Galactic season: Spring brings deep space wonders to Northern Hemisphere night skies<\/u>.<\/p>\n<p>With our help you can also capture amazing images of stars. <u>Night sky photography guide for beginners<\/u>. Be sure to check out our selection <u>best telescope<\/u> and <u>Binoculars for exploring the night sky<\/u>With a summary of <u>top camera<\/u> and <u>Astrophotography lenses to be released in 2026<\/u>.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Editor&#8217;s note: <\/strong><\/em><em>If you&#8217;d like to share your night sky photos with Space.com readers, send them along with your name, location, and comments to spacephotos@space.com. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>#April #moon #brings #spectacular #views #Hydra #Jupiter #Venus #week<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>April&#8217;s new moon has arrived, bringing with it several nights of spectacular dark skies perfect for viewing our solar system&#8217;s planets, majestic constellations, and the galaxy beyond. April&#8217;s new moon Occurred on April 17th at 7:52 a.m. EDT (GMT 1152), the moon solar The Earth is no longer visible in the daytime sky, and its &#8230; <a title=\"April 2026 new moon brings spectacular views of Hydra, Jupiter, Venus, and more this week\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=606\" aria-label=\"Read more about April 2026 new moon brings spectacular views of Hydra, Jupiter, Venus, and more this week\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[1157,627,1160,1161,558,1158,1162,1159,457],"class_list":["post-606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-april","tag-brings","tag-hydra","tag-jupiter","tag-moon","tag-spectacular","tag-venus","tag-views","tag-week"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}