As April begins, look to the west at nightfall for the constellation Auriga, featuring brilliant Capella. This polygon of stars is set off by bright Capella and marks the start of a month where iconic winter constellations fade from view.
Capella consists of four stars, two of which are big and bright. The two stars orbit each other at 67 million miles apart, similar to Venus’s distance from the sun. This star exhibits rapid twinkling due to light passing through Earth’s atmosphere.
In the east and south, spring stars take center stage. Look for Leo, the lion, in the south with a backward question mark of stars forming its head and neck. Regulus, Leo’s brightest star, is located at the point of this shape.
April’s full moon arrives on April 12, being the year’s most distant. This month’s full moon will appear slightly smaller than usual due to its farther distance from Earth. The evening of April 30 features a young moon above Jupiter, just three days past perigee, making it larger than usual.
Minnesota Starwatch is a service provided by the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, offering stargazing insights and astronomy guidance.
Source: https://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/minnesota-starwatch-for-april