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Stargazing & night sky tours in April for Galaxy season - BOOK NOW

  • NOVA Stargazing UK
  • Reviews
  • Availability
  • Stargazing Experiences
    • Book Now / Gift Cards
    • Night Sky Tour Packages
    • Important Info / FAQs
    • Public Astronomy Events
    • Schools/Scouts Stargazing
    • Corporate/Weddings
    • Other Experiences
  • Locations We Cover
  • Telescopes
  • Monthly Celestial Events
    • Planetary/Lunar Calendars
    • Night Sky in April
    • Night Sky in May
    • Night Sky in June
  • Discover NOVA
    • Social Media & Blog
    • About Us
    • Gallery
    • Contact Us

VISUAL OBSERVING VS SPACE TELESCOPES & PROBES

Space telescopes & probes

Whirlpool Galaxy (Messier 51) as seen from the Hubble Space Telescope

Images online, whether from the space based or large ground based telescopes are undoubtedly incredible, however there are a few things to consider about these images, compared to when viewing these objects through a telescope:


Camera images (from telescopes) are taken with extremely expensive, high-tech equipment, that will have the ability to do super long exposure images, that are then edited and they will have gathered light our eyes can't see (infrared and x-ray). These instruments are more sensitive to light than the human eye and some have been taken outside the disturbance of Earth's atmosphere.


Our telescope & equipment

Whirlpool Galaxy (Messier 51), as seen through our Celetron 11SCT via he Pegasus Smarteye

Viewing objects through a telescope is an incredible and mind blowing experience. It's the most natural, raw way you will see the planets, the moon, stars and anything else that resides amongst our cosmos. These sights are truly inspiring and we never know how it will affect people emotionally, some people cry, some people jump up and down and others have a smile from ear to ear.  


Please bare in mind, although you will not see images quite like the space images, what you do see through the telescope will leave you astonished and forever remembering when you first saw them with your own two eyes. 

APRIL IS GALAXY SEASON: BOOK NOW

CONSTELLATIONS IN APRIL'S NIGHT SKY

    What to see in the night sky UK: APRIL 2026

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    What to see in the night sky UK: April 2026

    Naked Eye Targets

    Naked Eye Targets

    Naked Eye Targets

    This month offers some fantastic naked-eye targets for observers in the UK. The evening sky is dominated by two brilliant planets, while the middle of the month brings the return of one of the oldest recorded meteor showers, originating from the debris of Comet Thatcher.

    Here are a few areas we can focus on:


    • 🪐 The Evening Jewels: Tracking the exceptionally bright planets Venus and Jupiter, including a beautiful alignment with the crescent Moon and the Pleiades star cluster around April 18 and 19.


    •  ☄️ The Lyrid Meteor Shower: Planning the best time to catch the peak of the Lyrids on the night of April 22–23, taking advantage of the dark skies after the moon sets.


    • 🌟 Spring Constellations: Identifying the giant "Sickle" of Leo the Lion high overhead and spotting the sparkling blue star Vega as it rises in the east.

    Telescope Targets

    Naked Eye Targets

    Naked Eye Targets

    April 2026 skies offer a transition from the bright winter targets to the deep-sky treasures of spring. With a telescope, we can look beyond the naked-eye views to observe specific planetary features, hunt down elusive comets, or travel millions of light-years away to view distant galaxies. Interestingly, skywatchers were hoping to catch the highly anticipated sungrazing Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) this week, but it actually just broke apart during its close encounter with the Sun yesterday!

    Here are three areas we can focus our telescopic exploration on:


    • 🔭 Deep-Sky Galaxies: Exploring the "Realm of the Galaxies" in Virgo and Leo, or hunting down the famous Bode's and Cigar galaxies high up in Ursa Major.


    • 🪐 Planetary Details: Catching the changing phases of Venus, spotting the dim bluish disk of Uranus near Venus in the evening, or observing Jupiter's atmospheric bands.


    • ☄️ Comet Hunting: Tracking down Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) in the early morning sky before it takes its own plunge sunward later this month.

    Book now

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