While April Fool's Day has no astronomical meaning, the celestial bodies sure know how to keep you on your toes.
The moon has entered its waxing phase, with last night's sighting showing a big crescent moon smiling across the sky. Expect to see that crescent transform over the next few days until next Saturday. On April 12, stargazers can view a full pink micromoon starting around sunset. While most people may have heard of a full moon or a pink moon, micromoons are much less understood. In short, a micromoon occurs when the moon is at its furthest point from Earth's orbit. It is the first full moon of spring (also called the Paschal Moon).
Moving to the planets, Mars has faded in the past couple months but will form a perfectly straight line with Gemini's two brightest stars. This helps in determining Mar's orbital path eastward across the sky and is visible with the naked eye.
You can hear Astro Bob's Backyard Astronomy every other Tuesday at 8:20am on Northland Morning.
