Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Tuesday, April 26th.  The sun rises at 6:40.  It’ll be up for 13 hours and 59 minutes, setting at 8:40.   The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:56 tomorrow morning

Lets face it we’re pretty sick of winter, what with all the relapses this month.  But I’m never sick of the winter stars and constellations.  With Leo and the other spring constellations taking over the skies from overhead to the south, the winter constellations are about to set in the west at 10 p.m.  Orion’s rectangular torso is tipped to the right, his belt stars horizontal, 90 degrees from their rising orientation.  The same is true of Castor and Pollux higher up which rose vertically and will set horizontally.  The brightness and closeness of the stars here are a great contrast with the sparse numbers of stars visible overhead and to the south.  That’s because the Milky Way runs through the winter stars and crosses to the north part of the sky.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Winter Stars Setting in Late April. Created using Stellarium.