Spot the Moon and Mercury in Today’s Morning Sky (April 15)
The predawn sky offers a neat meet-up of a slim crescent Moon, bright Mercury, and faint Mars. Spot the Moon low in the east about 30 minutes before sunrise on April 15.
When and where to look
For mid-northern observers, the Moon rises roughly an hour before sunrise. Mercury appears about 40 minutes before the Sun.
Try observing about half an hour before sunrise for the best view. Put away binoculars or telescopes well before the Sun clears the horizon.
Timings for 40°N, 90°W
- Sunrise: 6:22 AM
- Sunset: 7:39 PM
- Moonrise: 5:13 AM
- Moonset: 5:52 PM
What you can expect to see
The crescent Moon will be very thin, roughly 6 percent lit at the observing time. You may notice earthshine on its darker face.
Mercury will sit about 2.5° above the horizon and approximately 4° below the Moon. It shines near magnitude 0.0 and is easy in binoculars.
Details on planetary views
Through a small telescope, Mercury’s disk measures about 6 arcseconds. Its visible portion is near two-thirds illuminated.
Mars will be fainter, near magnitude 1.2, about 4.2° left of Mercury. It may be challenging in bright twilight. Neptune will remain too dim for this brief window.
Close approaches and additional notes
The Moon passes roughly 5° north of Mercury on April 14 at about 3 PM EDT. It later swings 4° north of Neptune at 5 PM EDT.
The Moon also passes 4° north of Mars around 9 PM EDT the same day. Observers should plan for a narrow observing window before sunrise.
Filmogaz.com credits simulation and imagery data to Stellarium, USGS, Celestia, and Clementine. Remember safety: cover optics well before sunrise.
