The month of April will witness a rare astronomical event as Saturn and Jupiter join the conjunction of Mars and Venus.
While Mars and Venus Having approached each other on April 5 to be closer than the apparent diameter of the Moon, Jupiter joined them on April 8 to form a trio for stargazers.
Jupiter was still buried deep at dawn in the early days and is expected to rise in the early morning hours of April 14. By the last week of April, Jupiter will be high enough above the horizon an hour before sunrise so that it can be seen more easily.
By April 19, Saturn will join these three planets and the four planets will be spread out in a diagonal line of just over 30 degrees; Lower left to upper right: Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn.
In the last week of April, Jupiter and Venus will come together with the crescent Moon below Saturn on April 25, Mars on April 26 and finally Jupiter and Venus on April 27.
According to SPACE.com, a 12% illuminated crescent Moon with four degrees to Jupiter’s upper left and Venus orbiting directly five degrees above the lunar sliver will be visible.
Venus and Jupiter will stand side by side on April 30. Jupiter will be visible with three of its four Galilean satellites and Venus will be visible at little more than half-light.
On April 30, Venus and Jupiter will exit their own very close conjunction, like Mars and Saturn earlier this month.
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