Venus-Jupiter Conjunction, Six-Star System – What To Watch In The April Sky And When

An ultra-close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, and a hidden surprise in the Ursa Major constellation are some of the astronomical marvels awaiting us in April. 

Venus-Jupiter Conjunction (Top); The Big Dipper Constellation (Bottom) | Getty Images

New Delhi: An ultra-close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, and a hidden surprise in the Ursa Major constellation are some of the astronomical marvels awaiting us in April. 

Venus, Mars, and Saturn will be visible at different positions in the sky during the beginning of the month. Jupiter will start rising above the horizon in the predawn hour by mid-April. 

One can enjoy watching the following cosmic wonders in the April sky. 

Trio Of Venus, Mars, & Saturn

Venus, Mars, and Saturn will form a trio in the southeast before sunrise, at the beginning of the month. Saturn will appear to move steadily toward Mars each day, NASA said on its website.

By April 4, Saturn and Mars will be separated by less than the width of the full moon.

After this, the separation between Saturn and Mars will start increasing day by day. 

Jupiter In The Predawn Hour

Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Mars will form a quartet of planets in the morning sky by mid-April, as Jupiter starts rising in the predawn hour. 

Toward the last week of April, the position of Jupiter above the horizon in the hour before sunrise will make it easier to observe the gas giant.

Venus-Jupiter Ultra-Close Conjunction

On April 30, an ultra-close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will occur. This will be similar to the meet up of Mars and Saturn earlier in the month of April. These conjunctions will make for thrilling sights in the morning sky. 

A Hidden Surprise In The Big Dipper

Stargazers will be enthralled by a hidden surprise in the Big Dipper constellation this month. The Big Dipper, also called Ursa Major, is probably the most familiar pattern of bright stars in the northern sky, and is a useful reference for finding one's way around the sky. The Big Dipper contains a hidden surprise: a six-star system.

Midway along the Dipper's handle, one may spot what looks at first glance like a single bright star. However, on closer inspection, one can observe a double star: Mizar and Alcor. 

According to NASA, the two star systems are around a light-year apart. They are located 80 to 90 light-years away from our solar system. Alcor takes little less than a million years to complete an orbit around Mizar. 

There are several binaries in the sky, which orbit around each other, but require a telescope to be viewed as separate stars. Mizar and Alcor are an unusual example of a double star which one can see as a pair without the aid of a telescope, according to NASA.

Although Alcor and Mizar appear as a close pair of stars, they are in fact six. Alcor is a binary pair of stars, while Mizar is four stars. In other words, Mizar has two pairs of binaries.

Thus, what appears to be an unusual "double" star is, in reality, a six-star system.