Sydney Observatory night sky map

A map for each month of the year, to help you learn about the night sky

April 2012
www.sydneyobservatory.com.au

The star chart shows the stars and constellations visible in the night sky for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth for April 2012 at about 7:30 pm (local standard time). For Darwin and similar locations, the chart will still apply, but some stars will be lost off the southern edge while extra stars will be visible to the north. Stars down to a brightness or magnitude limit of 4.5 are shown. To use this chart, rotate it so that the direction you are facing (north, south, east or west) is shown at the bottom. The centre of the chart represents the point directly above your head, called the zenith, and the outer circular edge represents the horizon.

Star brightness
Zero or brighter 1st magnitude 2nd CANES VENATICI 3rd th 4
NE

URSA MAJOR

Moon phase
Full Moon: 07th Last quarter: 13th New Moon: 21st First quarter: 29th PERSEUS

LEO MINOR

PLEIADES

Castor
Leo (the Lion)

(Star cluster)

Pollux
CANCER LEO

Pollux GEMINI

Venus on 30th Venus P on 15th

COMA BERENICES
Mars

Arcturus

Regulus
First Quarter Moon 29th

First Quarter Moon 31 March

TAURUS Aldebaran

CANIS MINOR

Procyon

Belt of Orion

Betelgeuse ORION

SEXTANS
Canis Major (the Great Dog)

Orion Nebula (M42)

MONOCEROS
Orion (the Hunter)

VIRGO CORVUS
Saturn

CRATER HYDRA

Sirius

Sirius
LEPUS

Rigel

CANIS MAJOR PYXIS ANTLIA

FALSE CROSS

Adhara PUPPIS COLUMBA ERIDANUS

VELA
SOUTHERN CROSS

Zubenelgenubi LIBRA CENTAURUS

Eta Carina

Canopus CARINA VOLANS MUSCA CHAMAELEON

Canopus
PICTOR

CAELUM

Alpha Centauri
LUPUS
POINTERS

CRUX Mimosa

DORADO

FORNAX

Proxima Centuari Alpha Centauri CIRCINUS

Beta Centauri

Hadar

RETICULUM MENSA DIAMOND CROSS

LMC

HOROLOGIUM

South Celestial Pole

OCTANS

HYDRUS Achernar

Chart key

APUS NORMA TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE Antares

SMC
TUCANA

Bright star Faint star SCORPIUS Ecliptic Milky Way P Planet LMC or Large Magellanic Cloud Centre of the Galaxy SMC or Small Magellanic Cloud
SE

PHOENIX

ARA PAVO

W SSCULPTOR

TELESCOPIUM

South INDUS
GRUS

Saturn is visible in Virgo as a moderately bright star-like object to the east and is near the full Moon on the 7th. Mars can be seen towards the north-east in Leo. Venus remains visible towards the north-west during the early evening and is near the crescent Moon on the 25th. Until the middle of the month, Jupiter can be seen low in the west during the early evening. The Southern Cross is high in the sky towards the south-east and is easily located using the two nearby Pointer stars. Nearby are the False and Diamond Crosses that are both often mistaken for the Southern Cross. Prominent constellations include Leo (the Lion), Orion (the Hunter), Gemini (the Twins) and Canis Major (the Great Dog). In 2012 daylight saving ends in ACT, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia on Sunday 1 April at 3 am summer time. Sydney Observatory, with a magnificent view overlooking Sydney Harbour, is open every day (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Good Friday) between 10am and 5pm and for night sessions (times vary depending on the season). View the sky nightly through one of our telescopes, and see 3D movies about the Universe. Bookings are essential for night programs. For more information, check the website at www.sydneyobservatory.com or call (02) 9921 3485. Sydney Observatory is at Watson Road, Observatory Hill, in the historic Rocks area of Sydney.

CORONA AUSTRALIS

Sydney Observatory is part of the Powerhouse Museum. The Sydney Observatory night sky map is prepared by Dr M Anderson using the software TheSky. 2012 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney.

West

Spica

NW

North
Capella LYNX
Gemini (the Twins)

AURIGA

East