Here's the stargazing gear you need for April 2026 — don't miss the Lyrids, two comets and the full moon

As the winter constellations sit lower and lower in the night sky, April sees the arrival of some pretty exciting night sky events. The full moon at the start of the month provides an excellent target for beginners, and not only is there the breathtaking Lyrid meteor shower to enjoy (in new moon week, no less), but there are also two comets to see in April — although one of them will fly too close to the sun to be enjoyed with the naked eye.

Read on to discover our recommendations for the best cameras, best binoculars and best telescopes for each event throughout April.

Apr 01: Full Pink Moon

April kicks off with a full Pink Moon on the night of April 1 into April 2. The full moon is always a crowd pleaser, regardless of whether you're a beginner or a seasoned astronomer. The moon can easily be viewed with the naked eye, as we all know, but if you want to get a closer, more detailed view, pick up a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to observe the craters and lunar surface in more detail. The evening moonrise is also an excellent time to photograph the moon, especially if you can capture it rising over a bridge, monument or tower to add drama and scale.

Best seen with:

Camera: Provided your camera works well in low light, your lens choice is actually more important for photographing the moon. You’ll need a long focal length to zoom as far in as you can, so the moon appears bigger in the frame (a tripod or monopod will also help steady your shot). Alternatively, smart telescopes can track and stack images of the moon, which is a great alternative if you don’t have an astrophotography camera.

Binoculars: You can see the moon in pretty much any pair of binoculars, but it depends on how much detail you want to see, and whether you want to go handheld or use a tripod. We’ve had lovely views of the moon even with compact binoculars, but if you want the best views, we’d recommend sizing up to a pair of big astronomy binoculars — 12x50 and above is a good place to start.

Telescope: You can certainly get decent views of the moon in a small telescope, but, as you’d expect, the bigger tubes are going to have better light-gathering ability. In fact, the eyepiece will probably make the most difference for lunar viewing.

A 20mm eyepiece will give lovely full moon vistas, but a high-power 6-10mm eyepiece is great for picking out surface details. That said, the moon is an excellent first target for your kids to observe with a child-friendly telescope.

Apr 03: Mercury at greatest western elongation

Most casual observers will be better off viewing Mercury with the naked eye, thanks to its magnitude. But if you have a beginner telescope handy and don't mind getting up before dawn, you can actually see Mercury in its phases — although don’t expect to see any surface detail. Plus, you'll need to manage the bright pre-dawn light and Mercury’s low altitude, so we wouldn’t recommend spending too much time on it.

The best telescope for beginners

Celestron NexStar 6SE: at Amazon

With its 6-inch aperture, accurate tracking and excellent quality optics, the Celestron NexStar 6SE is easy to set up and get stargazing quickly, and it's a fantastic all-rounder for deep-sky targets as well as planetary and lunar objects.

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Apr 4: Sungrazer Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS)

Although not technically a night sky object, there's the potential to see a "sungrazer" comet at the start of the month. Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) makes its closest approach to our star on April 4, and if it survives the close encounter, it could shine up to several times brighter than the full moon. Unfortunately, due to its close proximity to the sun, the safest way to view it is on your computer, via the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).

Solar viewing can be dangerous, and although it would be tempting to use specialist solar viewing equipment, these are designed to block out over 99% of the sun's harmful light, so a pair of solar binoculars would block out the comet entirely.

Apr 13: Mars/Neptune conjunction

In the pre-dawn hours of April 13, Mars will conjunct with the distant planet Neptune, and if the conditions are right, you might be able to see it with your telescope. However, there are some caveats here.

First, you'll need a large-aperture telescope to be able to see Neptune due to its distance from Earth — you'll want at least a 6- to 8-inch telescope. Second, the conjunction will take place when the planets are very close to the horizon, so the seeing conditions won't be ideal at that low altitude. Third, as it'll happen just before sunrise, you won't have long before it becomes too faint.

It's a cool occurrence to try for, but we'd recommend waiting until the new moon week to get any meaningful observations of the ice giant.

Apr 17: New moon

This week is the optimum time for dark skies. With a new moon on the 17th, the few days surrounding this will be perfect for stargazing without any moonlight spoiling the view. Spring is also prime galaxy season, giving you the opportunity to see and image some faint fuzzies you don't normally get to see.

Best seen with:

Camera: If you want to photograph galaxies, there are two ways you can go about it. The first (and by far, the easiest) is to use a smart telescope, which will locate, track and stack the images for you. The second way is to use a camera (even a beginner astro camera will work), a long telephoto lens and a star tracker. This method requires more know-how — and more patience — but will be more rewarding when you get it right. If you want a bonus third method, you can mount your camera to your telescope, if you have both.

Binoculars: Binoculars are great if you want a portable way to observe more stars than you can see with the naked eye, without having to fuss around with a telescope — although you won't be able to see many galaxies. All you need is a pair of 10x50s to sweep across the sky to observe star clusters and constellations, or you can size up to larger magnification to see the Andromeda Galaxy and Jupiter's moons.

Telescope: New moon week is the ideal time to head out with a telescope, and perhaps one of your last chances to see some of the winter constellations before they disappear. As there's no moonlight, you can use anything from a small beginner scope up to a large Dobsonian and still get good views.

Apr 17: C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS)

During the dark new moon week, you might be able to get a glimpse of the second of April's comets, Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) — the "great comet of 2026" — just before sunrise. We don't yet know how bright it will be, but some researchers have predicted it could reach a magnitude of anywhere from 8 (and therefore only visible with a telescope or large astronomy binoculars) to 2.5, where it would be visible to the naked eye.

You can spot the comet right now with a telescope, and it'll only get brighter as the month progresses until its closest approach (perihelion) on April 17. Then, on April 27, it'll make its closest approach to Earth, giving you another favorable opportunity to see it.

Best seen with:

Camera: To photograph this comet, you'll need a decent astrophotography setup with a telephoto lens to capture the nucleus and tail of the comet. A smart telescope is an alternative option, especially if you live in a light-polluted city, and will give you a closer view than a camera would.

Binoculars: It's very likely you'll be able to spot the comet with binoculars, but its magnitude will determine what specs you need. To be safe, you'll want the largest objective lens diameter you can afford to let in the most amount of light.

Telescope: You should only need a small telescope to see the comet, although, as expected, larger aperture instruments will yield brighter results.

Apr 21/22: Lyrid meteor shower peak

While the Lyrid meteor shower will be active from April 15-29, it is expected to peak on the night of April 21/22, with the best viewing being after midnight until the predawn hours. The moon phase will also be working in its favor, with only around 27% illumination, and as it's due to set just after midnight, the majority of the night won't see any moonlight at all. Meteors will be visible all over the sky, originating from the constellation Lyra, near the bright star Vega.

Best seen with:

Camera: Meteor showers are a very rewarding event to photograph for astrophotographers. You'll need a camera that can handle high ISO levels (this, too, is helped out by the lack of moonlight) and a fast, wide-angle prime lens to fit as much of the sky and foreground in your shot as possible.

The OM System OM-1 Mark II would be fantastic for meteor showers, as you can see exactly what's being recorded on the screen with Live Composite mode — proof that even APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras can work well for astrophotography.

Binoculars: Although the naked eye is typically best for meteor showers, binoculars can help you pick out faint meteors and dimmer tails that you can't usually see. Plus, while you're waiting, you can check out other favorite nighttime targets like star clusters, planets and the Milky Way with a pair of 10x42s. As it's one of the more prominent showers, however, binoculars — which often struggle to keep up — aren't a necessity.