April may be known for its rain showers — but when the clouds part, nighttime skygazers can enjoy meteor showers and other dazzling displays all month long, according to astronomers.
Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere will be treated to simultaneous meteor showers this month. Fireballs from the Lyrids and the Eta Aquarids will be streaking through the sky at the same time from April 20 to 26, according to NASA.
A view of the Lyrids Meteor Shower and Milky Way in Panamint Springs of California, April 24, 2023.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The Lyrids originate from the Comet Thatcher and peak during late April, when they release about 18 meteors per hour, according to NASA.
Viewers should look for the Lyrids during the darkest hours, after moonset and before predawn, astronomers say. Lyrids appear to radiate near the star Vega.
The Eta Aquarids originate from the Comet Halley and typically peak during early May every year, releasing about 50 meteors per hour at their peak, according to NASA. They are also known for their speed, traveling nearly 41 miles per second through the atmosphere.
Astronomers recommend viewing the Eta Aquarids during the predawn hours. Look toward Aquarius, where the radiance of the Eta Aquarids appears to originate from. The Eta Aquarids will be active from April 20 to May 21.
A general view of the Orion Nebula during the planet parade or planetary alignment when four planets are visible to the naked eye on the evening sky in Sparta N.C., Jan. 25, 2025.
Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images
Early April is also a good time to attempt the “Messier Marathon,” a challenge in which observers attempt to view as many of the 110 Messier objects as possible — including nebulae, star clusters and galaxies, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Other notable events will take place in early April.
On Wednesday, the Pleiades star cluster appears near the Moon, according to EarthSky. On Thursday, the moon will align with Jupiter.
A flight-illuminated path and the Milky Way are appearing in the night sky during the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, May 5, 2024.
Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Several celestial objects will form a line in April. On Saturday — as well as from April 11 to 12 — the moon and Mars will come together and be joined by twin stars Castor and Pollux, according to EarthSky.
In addition, the sun’s magnetic field is still in its solar maximum, making northern lights events more frequent. Peak solar activity is expected until March 2026.
The events will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere by both telescope and the naked eye, according to astronomers.
