The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — April 2005
Highlights this month
- 4MonJupiter at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Virgo (mag −2.3). (1:29am)
- 4MonThe Moon passes Mars — 4° apart. (10:10am)
- 11MonMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (12:26pm)
- 23SatThe Moon passes Jupiter — 0.6° apart. (3:02am)
- 23SatLyrids meteor shower peaks (up to 18/hr). A bright 98% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 27WedMercury at greatest morning elongation (27° from the Sun, mag 0.4) — best morning apparition. (2:21am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 | 6:34am | 6:13pm | 11h 40m | 7:41pm | 5:06am |
| Sun 10 | 6:42am | 6:00pm | 11h 18m | 7:28pm | 5:14am |
| Wed 20 | 6:51am | 5:46pm | 10h 55m | 7:14pm | 5:23am |
| Sat 30 | 7:00am | 5:33pm | 10h 33m | 7:03pm | 5:31am |
Days shorten by about 67 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Last QuarterSat 2, 10:57am
- New MoonSat 9, 6:36am
- First QuarterSun 17, 12:39am
- Full MoonSun 24, 8:09pm
Perigee 4 Apr (368,200 km) · Apogee 17 Apr (404,700 km) · Perigee 30 Apr (369,400 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Psc | 1.1 | 4:53am | 10:56am | 4:58pm | Morning |
| Venus | Ari | −3.8 | 7:05am | 12:36pm | 6:06pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Cap | 0.8 | 1:14am | 8:12am | 3:09pm | Morning |
| Jupiter | Vir | −2.3 | 5:20pm | 11:33pm | 5:50am | Evening |
| Saturn | Gem | 0.0 | 1:28pm | 6:16pm | 11:04pm | Evening |
| Uranus | Aqr | 5.9 | 3:02am | 9:32am | 4:01pm | Morning |
| Neptune | Cap | 7.9 | 1:13am | 8:06am | 3:00pm | Morning |
Meteor showers
- Lyrids — peaks 23 April, radiant in Lyra (up to 18/hr). A modest shower; the radiant is low in the north-east before dawn from Victoria. A bright 98% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — April 2005
Evening sky Morning sky Up much of the night Lost in the Sun’s glare
Open the full interactive orrery ↗ — fast-forward, pick any date, toggle the Moon and more.
Looking for an earlier month? Browse all past monthly guides →
Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 15 July 2026.