PAGASA

Calendar of Astronomical Events APRIL 2026

Date	Event	Time
01-30	Global Astronomy Month	---
01	Mercury at highest altitude in morning sky	---
04	Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) passes perihelion	---
04	Mercury at dichotomy	06:17 a.m.
04	Mercury at greatest elongation west	06:34 a.m.
06	Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) passes perigee	---
07	Moon at Apogee (Distance = 404,906.355 km)	04:31 p.m.
19	Moon at Perigee (Distance = 361,715.706 km)	02:56 p.m.
19	Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) passes perihelion	---
19	Conjunction of the Moon and Venus	04:47 p.m.
22	Lyrid meteor shower (ZHR = 18)	---
23	π-Puppid meteor shower (ZHR = var)	---
23	Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter	06:04 a.m.
23	Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter	07:13 a.m.
26	Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) passes perigee	---

Moon Phases

	Full Moon
	Apr 02	10:12 AM
	Last Quarter
	Apr 10	12:52 PM
	New Moon
	Apr 17	07:52 PM
	First Quarter
	Apr 24	10:32 AM

Rise and Set Times of Planets

Date	Mercury		Venus		Mars		Jupiter		Saturn
Date	Rise	Set	Rise	Set	Rise	Set	Rise	Set	Rise	Set
Apr 01	04:26 am	04:15 pm	07:02 am	07:32 pm	04:57 am	04:53 pm	11:59 am	12:56 am*	05:40 am	05:44 pm
Apr 11	04:25 am	04:21 pm	07:05 am	07:45 pm	04:43 am	04:46 pm	11:23 am	12:20 am*	05:05 am	05:09 pm
Apr 21	04:32 am	04:40 pm	07:11 am	07:59 pm	04:28 am	04:38 pm	10:48 am	11:42 pm	04:29 am	04:35 pm
Apr 30	04:46 am	05:08 pm	07:18 am	08:13 pm	04:15 am	04:31 pm	10:18 am	11:11 pm	03:57 am	04:04 pm

* = following day

Stars and Constellation

April’s night sky unveils a captivating blend of scientific discovery and mythological symbolism. From the prominent constellations of Ursa Major, Leo Minor, and Leo in the Northern Hemisphere to the lesser-known yet equally fascinating Sextans, Hydra, Crater, and Antlia in the southern sky, these celestial patterns have sparked awe and inspired stories for centuries. These constellations will be seen directly overhead at 09:00 p.m. on 15 April 2026, as depicted in Figure 1, presenting an extraordinary display for stargazers. [1]

Figure 1: The view of the night sky featuring the prominent April constellations at 09:00 p.m. on 15 April 2026 using the Stellarium software.

Leo is a prominent and historically significant zodiac constellation, representing the Nemean lion killed by Hercules in Greek mythology. One of the oldest constellations, Leo is easily identified by the Sickle asterism, formed by its six bright stars outlining the lion’s head. The Sickle ends with Regulus, the constellation’s brightest star, having an apparent magnitude of 1.35, representing the lion’s heart. Denebola, the second-brightest star, marks the lion’s tail and is located opposite Regulus. Denebola is part of the Spring Triangle with Arcturus and Spica, and also joins Arcturus, Spica, and Cor Caroli to form the Great Diamond of Virgo. Apart from its notable stars, Leo is home to several interesting deep sky objects, including the Leo Triplet (or the M66 Group), a group of three interacting galaxies—M65, M66, and NGC 3628. It also contains other notable galaxies, like the elliptical galaxy Messier 105 and the spiral galaxies Messier 95 and Messier 96 (Figure 2a). These galaxies offer astronomers a rich field of study, particularly regarding galaxy formation and interaction. [2,3]

The Leo Minor constellation, while less well-known than its neighbor Leo, holds a distinct place in the night sky. Its name, Latin for ”Lesser Lion,” reflects its smaller size. Though it lacks bright stars, its brightest, 46 Leonis Minoris (Praecipua), is a giant orange star about 320 times more luminous than the Sun and located 98 light-years away. Leo Minor also hosts several deep-sky objects, including the faint NGC 3344 (Figure 2b), a barred spiral galaxy 20 million light-years away, along with NGC 3432 (Figure 2c), UGC 5983, and NGC 3504. These distant galaxies offer a challenging but intriguing area for exploration. As a faint, medium-sized constellation, Leo Minor is difficult to observe in light-polluted skies but can be located by drawing an imaginary line between Leo and Ursa Major, with Leo Minor situated in between. [2,4,5]

Figure 2: The Northern Constellations

The Hydra constellation, the largest and longest in the night sky, is often called the ”Water Serpent.” Spanning 1,303 square degrees, it is an equatorial constellation and is visible from most of Earth. Hydra’s brightest star is Alphard (Alpha Hydrae), a solitary orange giant with an apparent magnitude of 2.0, located 177 light-years away. Due to its considerable size, Hydra encompasses several deep-sky objects, including the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M 83), one of the brightest barred spiral galaxies visible from the southern hemisphere. It also contains the Hydra Cluster (Abell 1060), one of the nearest galaxy clusters, with 157 galaxies, including the elliptical galaxies NGC 3309 and NGC 3311, and the overlapping galaxies NGC 3314 (Figure 3a). Other notable objects include the Ghost of Jupiter Nebula (NGC 3242), the globular cluster Messier 68, and the open cluster Messier 48. Although Hydra can be challenging to locate due to its faint stars and large size, Alphard makes it easier to spot. [2,6,7]

Despite its modest size and faint stars, the constellation Antlia, also known as the Air Pump, offers astronomers a variety of intriguing objects to observe. Alpha Antliae, the brightest star in the constellation, is a red giant with a relatively cool surface and shines at a visual magnitude of 4.25. The constellation contains several noteworthy deep-sky objects. Among them is the Antlia Dwarf, a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that belongs to the Local Group. Its faint magnitude of 16 makes it a challenging sight to observe. Another highlight is the Antlia Cluster, a rich collection of nearly 234 galaxies located about 133 million light-years distant. The cluster is dominated by its two brightest members, NGC 3258 and NGC 3268. Antlia also hosts the spiral galaxies NGC 2997 (Figure 3b) and IC 2560 (Figure 3c). Locating Antlia in the night sky is relatively straightforward. By drawing an imaginary line from the constellation Vela to Hydra, Antlia can be found roughly midway along this path. While faint, this constellation rewards patient observers with a variety of fascinating celestial sights. [2,8,9]

Figure 3: The Southern Constellations

Planetary Location

This April, Jupiter and Venus will shine brightly after sunset, remaining visible in the night sky until they set on the western horizon. Mercury will be visible in the eastern sky until the third week of the month, but its proximity to the Sun will make it harder to spot as the month progresses. As Mercury fades, Saturn will rise in the eastern sky, while Mars will remain a faint, low presence on the horizon, making it challenging to observe. [10,11]

On 01 April, Mercury will reach its highest altitude in the morning sky, shining at a brightness of magnitude 0.2. On 04 April at 06:17 a.m., Mercury will undergo dichotomy, the phase when exactly half of the planet’s disk appears illuminated. Later that same morning, at 06:34 a.m., Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation, appearing 27.8° away from the Sun in the sky. This marks the point when the planet is farthest from the Sun in its morning apparition. [11,12,13,14]

On 19 April, at 04:47 p.m, the 2-day-old Moon and Venus will share the same right ascension, with the Moon passing 4°45’ north of Venus. The Moon, shining at magnitude -9.6, will be in the constellation Aries, while Venus, at magnitude -3.9, will appear in the neighboring Taurus. Although the exact moment of conjunction will be obscured by the Sun’s glare, the two celestial bodies will become visible together over the western horizon around 06:45 p.m. [Figure 4]. [11,15]

Figure 4: The view of the western sky showing the close pairing of the Moon and Venus on 19 April at 06:45 p.m. using Stellarium.

On 23 April at 06:04 a.m., the Waxing Crescent Moon and Jupiter will be in conjunction, passing 3°33’ north of Jupiter. About an hour later, their separation will narrow slightly to 3°29’, forming a close approach known as an appulse. Set against the stars of Gemini, the Moon will shine at magnitude -11.7, while Jupiter will appear at magnitude -2.1. Although the exact alignment occurs below the horizon, the pair will still appear close together in the evening sky, becoming visible around 06:45 p.m. and remaining so until they set along the western horizon [Figure 5]. [16,17]

Figure 5: The view of the night sky showing the close pairing of the Moon and Jupiter on 23 April at 06:45 p.m. using Stellarium.

All the conjunctions and near approaches mentioned between the planet and the moon, or between planets, will be visible enough to fit within the field of view of a telescope and can also be viewed with the naked eye or through a pair of binoculars.

Cometary Highlights

Two comets may be visible from the Philippines this April.

C/2026 A1 (MAPS) will reach its perihelion—its closest approach to the Sun—on 04 April at a distance of 0.02 AU, and its perigee, or closest approach to Earth, on 06 April at 0.96 AU. While the comet will not be observable on the exact dates of these events, it is expected to be visible from 09 to 15 April 2026, initially in the constellation Cetus, before gradually moving toward the neighboring Taurus as it travels across the sky. [18,19]

C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) will reach its perihelion on 19 April at 0.50 AU, and its perigee on 26 April at 0.49 AU. On the day of perihelion, the comet will be visible in the dawn sky, rising at 04:09 a.m. and reaching an altitude of 14° above the eastern horizon before fading as dawn breaks around 05:14 a.m. It is expected to be observable from 05 to 21 April 2026, beginning in the constellation Pegasus and gradually moving toward Pisces. Consequently, it will not be visible during its perigee. [20,21]

Meteor Shower

The Lyrid meteor shower is active from 16 to 25 April, with peak activity expected on 22 April. The shower becomes observable once Hercules, the location of the meteor shower’s radiant, rises at approximately 09:17 p.m. each night and remains visible until about 05:14 a.m. the following day. The radiant reaches its highest point in the sky at around 04:00 a.m. [Figure 6], making the hours just before dawn the most favorable time for observation. Under clear, dark, and moonless sky conditions, the shower may produce up to eighteen (18) meteors per hour when the radiant is highest in the sky. At the time of the peak, the Moon, located in Gemini, will be near its First Quarter Moon phase, resulting in minimal interference with meteor observations. [22]

Figure 6: The view of the northern sky during the peak of Lyrid meteor shower on 22 April 2026 at 04:00 a.m. when the shower’s radiant is represented by the green solid circle.

Another meteor shower observable in April is the π-Puppid meteor shower, produced by debris from Comet 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup. The shower is active from 15 to 28 April, with peak activity expected on 23 April. The shower becomes observable shortly after sunset and remains visible until its radiant in Puppis sinks toward the horizon at around 10:09 p.m. The shower is predicted to peak at approximately 05:00 p.m. [Figure 7]. As a result, the best viewing opportunity may occur soon after dusk, when the radiant is still relatively high above the horizon. At the time of peak activity, the Moon, located in Cancer, will be near its First Quarter Moon phase. Its brightness may cause significant interference in the early evening sky before it sets. [23,24]

Figure 7: The view of the southern sky during the peak of π-Puppid meteor shower on 23 April 2026 at 05:00 p.m. when the shower’s radiant is represented by the green solid circle.

Meteor showers are observable through the naked eye, and no special equipment such as telescopes or binoculars is needed. Maximize the viewing experience by choosing a dark observation site away from the city lights under clear and moonless sky conditions.

Watch: Astronomical Events for April 2026

Notes and References

Notes:
*following day
• All times displayed are in Philippine Standard Time (PhST)

References:
[1] PAGASA Special Publication No. 840; The Philippine Star Atlas 2019/Stellarium Software
[2] C. Guide, “Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky.” https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellations-by-month/april-constellations/, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[3] Go Astronomy, “LEO CONSTELLATION” https://go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Leo, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[4] Go Astronomy, “LEO MINOR CONSTELLATION” https://go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Leo%20Minor, Lastaccessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[5] Label Stars, “Leo Minor Constellation: The Ultimate Guide” https://labelstars.com/en/constellations-list/leo-minor-constellation, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[6] Go Astronomy, “HYDRA CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Hydra, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[7] Label Stars, “Hydra Constellation: The Ultimate Guide” https://labelstars.com/en/constellations-list/hydra-constellation, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[8] Go Astronomy, “ANTLIA CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Antlia, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[9] Label Stars, “Antlia Constellation: The Ultimate Guide” https://labelstars.com/en/constellations-list/antlia-constellation, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[10] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Objects in your sky: Planets” https://in-the-sky.org/data/planets.php, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[11] Multi-Interactive Computer Almanac (MICA), Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[12] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Mercury at highest altitude in morning sky” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260403_11_100, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[13] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Mercury at dichotomy” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260403_11_102, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[14] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Mercury at greatest elongation west” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260403_11_101, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[15] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Venus” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260419_20_100, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[16] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260422_20_100, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[17] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260422_15_100, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[18] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) passes perihelion” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=2026_19_CK26A010_100, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[19] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) passes perigee” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=2026_19_CK26A010_101, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[20] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) passes perihelion” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=2026_19_CK25R030_100, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[21] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) passes perigee” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=2026_19_CK25R030_101, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[22] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Lyrid meteor shower 2026” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260422_10_100, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[23] D. Ford, In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “π-Puppid meteor shower 2026” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260424_10_100, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.
[24] IMO - International Meteor Organization, “List of Meteor Showers for Observation Session” https://www.imo.net/members/imo_showers/working_shower_list, Last accessed on 2026-03-12, 2026.

For more information, call or email:

Ms. Ma. Rosario C. Ramos
Chief, SSAS - RDTD
PAGASA - DOST
Diliman, Quezon City
Trunkline: 8284-0800 loc 3015, 3016, 3017
Email address: astronomy@pagasa.dost.gov.ph

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