The International Space Station's orbit isn't taking it over our area during dawn and dusk so no visible passes this week. We'll next see the station before dawn on Thursday April 23.

Sunday April 12

Increasing clouds through out the day with strong line of thunderstorms expected overnight will not make for good sky watching conditions.

Stay inside and follow along with the Apollo 13 mission as it unfolded 50 years ago.

Monday April 13

Cloudy conditions will continue through predawn hours with skies expected to clear by late afternoon.

Look for Venus in the west after sunset. As the sky darkens it will seem to join the stars of the Great Winter Circle made up of stars in Orion, Taurus,, Gemini, and Canis Major and Minor.

You might also catch a faint string of about 16 satellites moving along the Northern Horizon over an hour beginning at 8:40 pm. These are Starlink satellites launched back in February by SpaceX to provide internet service globally.phto

Tuesday April 14

The Moon will be visiting Jupiter, Saturn an Mars in the southeast before dawn through the week, coming within two degrees each morning. Tuesday will be the best morning.

Wednesday April 15

With clouds expected both before dawn and after dusk, this is a good day for an indoor project. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers instructions on making a straw rocket, or create a calculator that shows the phases of the Moon throughout 2020.

Thursday April 16

The Moon continues its journey past Mars, Saturn and Jupiter in the predawn sky.

Friday April 17

The Moon reaches last quarter on Tuesday which makes spotting ridges, craters and other features easier, even with the naked eye. Unlike when the Moon is full and its features are washed out in the bright sunlight, the low sun angle during crescent moons creates shadows that reveal a lot of detail.

The Morehead Planetarium is also premiering at 360º online version of their Earth Moon and Sun show you can watch at home at 10 a.m.

Saturday April 18

Look to the northwest for a string of Starlink satellites beginning at 20:27. These are much dimmer than the space station but can stand out a bit more when several are in the sky at once.

Looking ahead to next week:

The Lyrid Meteor Shower arrives during a new moon.