April 2008 Monthly Sky Guide

Unlike some of our other highlights, Jupiter in April is great for late night/early morning viewing. Early in the month, Jupiter will rise around 3AM, but as the month progresses, it will rise nearly two hours early by the end of the month.

Named after Jove, the chief god of Roman mythology, Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet in Earth's solar system. Besides the Sun, the Moon, and Venus, Jupiter is the brightest object in Earth's sky, often mistaken as a star. It is more than three times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star.

Learn more about the planet Jupiter and take a solar system tour.

Check out this map for the month of April, or create your own customized map with our Free Sky Maps tool.

Note: This map is for a median time and location and may have slight differences from your location and viewing time. Planets and moons shown on this map will have the highest probability of appearing in different locations.

Use this handy Sky Map Symbols Key to figure out what you should be looking for.

Check out our Astronomical Events Calendar to learn about other happenings in space and on Earth. Here is a sampling of highlights.

• 5: 1st Middle East-Africa Regional IAU Meeting, Cairo, Egypt
• 7: Moon at Perigee
• 16: Mercury is in Superior Conjunction with the Sun
• 22: Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks
• 23: Moon at apogee

This month, the constellation Bootes can be seen high in the sky. Let's take a closer look at Bootes.

• The Herdsman
• Genitive: Bootis
• Abbreviations: Boo, Boot
• Right Ascension, (h): 15
• Declination, (deg): 30N

On March 5, 1931, Norman, Oklahoma was the birthplace for Geraldyn M. "Jerrie" Cobb. Daughter of Lt. Col. William H. Cobb and Helena Butler Stone Cobb, Jerrie Cobb took her first flight at the age of 12 in the backseat of a 1936 Waco open-cockpit biplane flown by her father, Col. Cobb. Thus began one of the world's great love stories.

Jerrie Cobb was the first member of the Mercury 13.

Check every day to learn what happened "This Day in History."

• 1: 1960 - First known weather observation satellite, TIROS I (Television Infra-Red Observation Satellite), launched
• 6: 1973 - Pioneer 11 - USA Jupiter/Saturn Flyby (April 6, 1973 - November 1995) launched
• 11: 1970 - Apollo 13 - USA Lunar Flyby (April 11-17, 1970) launched.
• 16: 1867 - Wilbur Wright born in Millville, Indiana.
• 21: 1972 - Apollo 16 - USA Manned Lunar Lander (April 16-27, 1972) landed on lunar surface.