[Music] what's up for April some easy to spot planets there's still time to observe Comet 12p and how to enjoy this month's solar eclipse if you're not in the path of totality for several days in the first half of April early risers can watch Mars and Saturn Rising together in the morning taking a look about half an hour before Sunrise you can find them low in the East about 10° above the Horizon they're at their closest on April 10th and 11th but still really close in the sky the whole second w
eek of April now on the evening of April 10th you can find the moon with Jupiter in the west Jupiter is easy to identify as a Bright unlick Light low in the west following Sunset all month being just a couple of days after its new moon phase the Moon shows only 7% of its illuminated surface on this evening making for a beautiful Crescent shining there with the giant planet Jupiter this is also a good night to have a look for Comet 12 P pwns Brooks which has been getting brighter and is easily ob
servable with binoculars or a small telescope especially if you can get away from Bright City Lights the comet will be just beneath the moon and just right of Jupiter but you'll have to be quick as it drops below 10° elevation an hour after Sunset and then sets an hour later so you'll want a clear view toward the Horizon and be looking for it as Twilight ends if you want to catch this Comet do it soon because it will be too close to the Sun in the sky to be observable after mid April and later w
hen it makes its closest approach to Earth it will be on its way outward from the Sun and growing fainter there's a total solar eclipse on the way and it's kind of a big deal we've been really fortunate to have two total eclipses visible across a wide swath of the US recently first in 2017 and now on April 8th 2024 the next time such an eclipse will cross the states is 21 years from from now if you live in or near the path of totality or you're traveling there to experience the eclipse you're in
for an incredible experience but what if you're not going to be able to experience totality for this eclipse in person what can you expect and how can you still enjoy it well for starters NASA has you covered with a live webcast from multiple locations as the moon's shadow moves across the country so join us for the total eclipse online whatever your plans if you're anywhere in the continental US outside of totality you'll still experience a partial solar eclipse the amount of the sun to be cov
ered by the moon at maximum Eclipse depends on how far you are from the path of totality in observing a partial eclipse you'll still need to use specialized eye protection such as eclipse glasses a pinhole projector or a telescope with a solar filter one of the easiest methods is something most of us have in our kitchen a regular colander these make excellent pinhole cameras that project the eclipse onto the ground and barring that the Su apples that filter through the tree leaves do something v
ery similar it's also fun to note the Eerie way the sunlight dims during the eclipse especially in places where the moon covers 80% or more of the sun's disc NASA has a bunch of eclipse resources to help you get ready for this awe inspiring Celestial event there's info on safe viewing citizen science opportunities and you'll even find our eclipse explor where you can find Eclipse details for your specific zip code from wherever you're observing solar eclipses are remarkable events so observe saf
ely and join our live webcast because it's an event you surely don't want to miss here are the phases of the moon for April stay up to date on NASA's missions exploring the solar system and Beyond at science.nasa.gov I'm Preston Dykes from NASA's jet propulsion Laboratory and that's what's up for this [Music] month
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