Sky Chart For The Month of April, 2010

ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR APRIL 2010

The Moon

Last Quarter occurs on 6th at h. 15-07 I.S.T.	New Moon occurs on 14th at h. 17-59 I.S.T.
First Quarter occurs on 21st at h. 23-50 I.S.T.	Full Moon occurs on 28th at h. 17-48 I.S.T.
The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 15th.
The Moon is at Apogee or farthest from the Earth on 9^th and at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 25^th.

The Moon passes about 4º north of Neptune on 10^th, about 6º north of Jupiter and 6º north of Uranus on 12 th, about 1½º north of Mercury and about 4º north of Venus on 16^th, about 4½º south of Mars on 22nd and about 8º south of Saturn on 26^th.

The Planets

The Visibility of Planets :

Mercury: The planet is visible low in the western sky after sunset. It sets about 1 hour to 1½ hours after sunset upto first quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 1 hour after it up to third quarter of the month. Thereafter it is too near the Sun to be visible, being in Inferior Conjunction on 28^th. It is in Greatest Eastern Elongation of about 19 º from the Sun on 9^th. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth on 18^th.

Venus: It is a brilliant object and can be seen in the western sky after sunset. It sets about 1½ hours to 2 hours after it throughout the month.

Mars: The planet sets about 2 hours to 1½ hours after it for the remaining days of the month.

Jupiter: The planet can be seen in the eastern sky before sunrise and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight. It rises about 1 hour to 1½ hours before sunrise up to second quarter of the month, about 1½ hour to 2 hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Saturn: The planet sets about ½ hour to 1 hour before sunrise upto second quarter of the month, about 1 hour to 1½ hours before it upto third quarter of the month and about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Uranus: The planet can be seen in the eastern sky before sunrise and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight throughout the month. It rises about ½ hour to 1 hour before sunrise upto second quarter of the month, about 1 hour to 1½ hours before it upto third quarter of the month and about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Neptune: The planet can be seen towards the eastern sky after local midnight throughout the month. It rises about 3½ hours to 2½ hours after local midnight upto second quarter of the month, about 2½ hours to 2 hours after it upto third quarter of the month and about 2 hours to 1½ hours after it for the remaining days of the month.

Planets	Planets in Zodiacal Constellation	Magnitude
Mercury (Budha)	Remains in Aries (Mesha).	-0.7 to +4.4
Venus (Sukra)	Moves from Aries (Mesha) to Taurus( Vrisha) on 20^th.	-3.9
Mars (Mangala)	Remains in cancer (Karkata).	+0.1 to +0.7
Jupiter (Brihaspati)	Remains in Aquarius (Kumbha)	-2.1
Saturn (Sani)	Remains in Virgo (Kanya).	+0.6 to +0.8
Uranus	Remains in Pisces (Mina)	+6.0
Neptune	Remains in Aquarius (Kumbha).	+8.0

Source : : Director

Positional Astronomy Centre

India Meteorological Department

Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700 091