Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

Spring is the time of year when the Big Dipper climbs higher into the northern sky.

As the week progresses, the moon rises later each night, giving us a dark sky full of stars to enjoy.

During the few hours after sunset or before sunrise, literally dozens of satellites will look like slowly moving dots across the sky, especially if the skies are dark.

If you're getting tired of Zoom meetings and binging on Netflix, take a break and look to the sky for the annual Lyrid meteor shower!

For four mornings beginning Tuesday, April 14, the waning moon will pass by three bright planets – Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.

This week, the moon grows to become full on April 7. On that evening, the moon will rise in the east almost immediately after the sun sets in the west.

Venus will meet up with the famous Pleiades Star Cluster in early April. You can also see Venus go through phases in a telescope as it gets closer to Earth.

Later this week, the Waxing Crescent Moon makes its appearance in the west after sunset.

All this week, a trio of planets group closer together in the morning before dawn.

About 90 minutes after sunset, you can find Sirius and a cluster of stars called the Little Beehive.

This week, the sunlit side of the Moon will seem to grow as the Moon itself slips backward among the stars.

In the early evening skies after sunset, Venus continues to steal the show as a super bright "star" in the west.

The three bright stars that make up Orion's belt make for one of the best guideposts in the sky.

With the Moon past full and moving into the post-midnight sky, now is the perfect opportunity to observe the Great Orion Nebula.

The planet Venus is drawing spectacular attention in the west as it outshines all the other star-like objects in the west after sunset.

The Moon appears low in the west at the beginning of this week, but will move further eastward each night.

One of the best-known constellations of the winter sky is approaching its prime in the southern sky and one of its stars is due to explode someday.

At the beginning of the week, Mars will be above a slightly brighter star called “Antares.”

This month, the full moon occurs Friday the 10th, when you can expect to see it slightly north of east after sunset.

If you like looking for meteors, mark the night of January 3 on your calendar!