Upcoming Events:
 

April 16	Wed	Mercury at greatest elongation east
April 16	Wed	Full Moon
April 22	Tue	Lyrid meteors peak
April 23	Wed	Mars 3° N of Moon
April 23	Wed	Third quarter Moon
April 28	Mon	Venus 3° N of Moon
May 1	Thu	New Moon
May 3	Sat	Asteroid Juno at opposition
May 5	Mon	Saturn 3° S of Moon
May 5	Mon	h-Aquarid meteors peak
May 7	Wed	Mercury transits Sun at sunrise
May 8	Thu	Jupiter 4° S of Moon
May 9	Fri	First quarter Moon
May 10	Sat	Astronomy Day
May 10	Sat	Mars reaches 10" diameter
May 15	Thu	Full Moon: total lunar eclipse

Ursa Major:

Double stars:
 

Star	Magnitude	Separation	Position Angle
z Zeta: Mizar and Alcor	2.3, 4.0, 4.0	14.4", 709"	152°, 71°
x Xi: Alula Australis	4.3, 4.8	1.8"	273°
Winnecke 4 (Messier 40)	9.0, 9.3	50"	85°

Variables:
 

Name	Type	Range	Per	Charts
Z UMa	Semireg	6.4-9.3	196d	http://www.aavso.org/charts/UMA/Z_UMA/ZUMA-A.GIF http://www.aavso.org/charts/UMA/Z_UMA/ZUMA-B.GIF
S UMa	Mira	7.8-11.7	226d	http://www.aavso.org/charts/UMA/S_UMA/SUMA-B.GIF http://www.aavso.org/charts/UMA/S_UMA/SUMA-D.GIF

Deep sky objects:
 

Object	Type	Magnitude	Surface brightness
Messier 81	Galaxy	6.9	13.0
Messier 82	Galaxy	8.4	12.8
Messier 108	Galaxy	10.0	13.0
Messier 97	Planetary nebula	9.9	12.1
Messier 109	Galaxy	9.8	13.5
Messier 101	Galaxy	7.9	14.8
Messier 51 CVn	Galaxy	8.4	12.6