April 10-12, 2026 - Weekend Sky Guide

Hi,

Here's a quick guide to the most interesting things you can see in the night sky this weekend.

This is a really nice setup for observing-darker skies, fewer distractions from the Moon, and a mix of easy planets and deeper objects if you want to explore a bit more.

Nothing complicated - just a few things worth looking up for.

🔭 Best Things to See This Weekend

Jupiter & Venus after sunset

Two bright planets are still visible in the evening sky.

Jupiter appears in the southwest after dark as a bright, steady point of light in Gemini.

Venus sits low in the west-northwest shortly after sunset and shines extremely bright-easy to spot even before the sky gets fully dark.

Planets don't twinkle like stars, so if you see a very bright object with a steady glow, you're likely looking at one of them.

Best time to observe:

30-60 minutes after sunset

Equipment:

Visible with the naked eye

🌙 Moon Phase

The Moon reaches its last quarter phase on April 10 and is about 50% illuminated this weekend.

This is a great setup for stargazing:

• less light pollution from the Moon
• darker skies earlier in the night
• better conditions for deep-sky objects

You'll still get a nice view of the Moon itself, especially along the line between light and shadow where surface details stand out.

✨ Deep Sky Object of the Weekend

Messier 3 (Globular Cluster) in Canes Venatici

Messier 3 is one of the brightest globular clusters in the sky - a dense, spherical group of hundreds of thousands of stars.

At first glance, it appears as a soft, fuzzy ball of light. With more magnification, it begins to resolve into individual stars.

How to find it:

Start with the Big Dipper and follow the arc of its handle.

Locate the bright star Corf Caroli, then look slightly south to find M3.

A stargazing app can help you pinpoint it quickly.

Equipment:

Binoculars or a small telescope

📷 Astrophotography Target

Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628)

A classic group of three galaxies located in the constellation Leo.

They sit close together, making them perfect for a wide-field shot.

Beginner setup:

50mm lens

30-60 second exposures

Tripod (or basic tracker for better results)

With stacked images, you can reveal multiple galaxies in a single frame.

👀 Easy Naked-Eye Target

Leo the Lion

Leo is still well positioned and easy to recognize.

Look toward the south after dark and:

• follow the arc of the Big Dipper's handle
• find the bright star Regulus
• trace the backward question mark shape (the "Sickle")

👉 Once you see it, it becomes one of the easiest constellations to recognize.

🌠 Meteor Activity

The Lyrids meteor shower is beginning to become active.

This weekend:

• activity is still low
• around ~5 meteors per hour at best
• conditions will improve closer to the peak on April 22

You might catch a few early meteors, but this isn't a peak weekend yet.

🌌 Astronomical Events

The Last Quarter Moon occurs on April 10.

Aside from that:

👉 no major sky events this weekend

This makes it a great time for relaxed, uninterrupted stargazing.

🌌 Stargazing Tip of the Week

Use darker Moon phases to go after deeper targets.

This weekend is ideal for:

• globular clusters
• galaxies
• fainter objects you wouldn't normally see under bright moonlight

👉 Even small equipment can go much further under darker skies.

🌌 Astronomy Picture of the Week

Hello World (Artemis II)

This week's pick comes straight from NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

It's a rare and historic view of Earth captured from space during the Artemis II mission.

The image shows our planet from pole to pole, with:

• Africa and the Iberian Peninsula clearly visible
• auroras glowing near both poles
• and sunlight just beginning to slip behind Earth's edge

What makes this shot special is the moment it was taken.

It comes from early in the Artemis II mission-after the spacecraft left Earth orbit and began its journey around the Moon. A path humans haven't taken in over 50 years.

And there's a small detail worth noticing:

👉 Venus appears in the image as a bright point of light near Earth's edge.

The same planet you can currently spot in the evening sky is quietly "photobombing" this historic shot from space.

Clear skies,

Paul, AstroPhotons.com

PS

If you enjoy this newsletter, feel free to share it with someone who might enjoy stepping outside and looking up this weekend.

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