The waxing crescent moon will appear low in our southwestern sky this weekend, close to the bright planet Venus. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Taurus, a constellation we associate more with winter than spring.
Even if you miss it, enjoy the appearance of Venus, now gaining altitude in our early evening sky.
Lyrid Meteor Shower
Take a stroll outside on Wednesday night for one of spring's favorite meteor showers, the Lyrids. The later you look in the evening, the better chance you'll see meteors. The shooting stars from this shower appear to originate from the constellation Lyra which is low in the eastern sky as the evening begins.
The brightest star in Lyra is Vega and you are already familiar with that bright summer star.
You might see as many as 20 meteors in an hour of viewing, though that is optimistic. You can see them anywhere, though they'll appear to originate from Lyra.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., April 17 | 5:59 | 7:24 |
| Sat., April 18 | 5:57 | 7:25 |
| Sun., April 19 | 5:56 | 7:26 |
| Mon., April 20 | 5:54 | 7:27 |
| Tues., April 21 | 5:53 | 7:28 |
| Wed., April 22 | 5:51 | 7:29 |
| Thurs., April 23 | 5:50 | 7:30 |
| Fri., April 24 | 5:48 | 7:31 |
| Day | Max (Fº) | Min (Fº) | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 10 | 49 | 44 | 0.00 |
| April 11 | 58 | 48 | T |
| April 12 | 61 | 38 | 0.00 |
| April 13 | 52 | 43 | T |
| April 14 | 63 | 47 | 0.00 |
| April 15 | 73 | 50 | 0.00 |
| April 16 | 77 | 51 | T |
This article appears in April 17, 2026.