* Astronomy

 Highlights

From a very dark location at that time, look for the Zodiacal Light, a huge soft glowing column of light in the western horizon. It is the light of the Sun reflected off dust particles in the inner solar system. Its axis closely coincides with the ecliptic.

The Lyrids
On April 21 (16-25) The Lyrid meteor shower reaches maximum; The peak is broad so that the number of meteors should be consistent until morning twilight. Although the Lyrids are considered a major shower, they produce a meteor only every 3 to 5 minutes, on average. The near New Moon will compete with the shower. The Lyrids are named after the constellation of Lyra from which they seem to radiate. deep-sky objects to have been recorded by the ancients, being mentioned by Aristotle around 325 BC.

The Summer Triangle
The morning sky, before dawn, now provides a preview of summer evenings. The Summer Triangle -- Vega, Deneb, and Altair -- holds the central position, high in the south. The scorpion sits low to the south and slightly west. Directly to the arachnid's east is Sagittarius, the Archer, and between the two lies the direction toward the Milky Way galaxy's centre. The ribbon of soft light that delineates our galaxy flows up from the south, through the Triangle, and then cascades toward the northern horizon.

Saturns slow progress against the starry background means that it will be well-placed for observing though early summer this year. By mid-evenings in April, the planet is more than halfway up the sky in the southeast and by late evening, the Ringed Planet is at its highest in the south.
Saturn is plainly visible as an extra star in the constellation of Leo the lion. The planet is just east of the bright star Regulus, the star that symbolises the lions heart. Regulus is also considered to be the dot of the backward question mark of stars that forms Leos head and mane. Watch for the moon near Saturn on April 14 and 15.

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