April 11, 2026: Two hours after sunset, find Spica low in the southeast with Hydra passing beneath it. Locate Corvus and Crater riding on the Snake’s back in the spring evening sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:17 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:27 p.m. CDT. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Venus as an Evening Star
Spring Stars in the Southeast
The spring evening sky is in transition. The brightest stars of winter evenings are in the western sky, including Jupiter high in the southwest near the Gemini Twins, while Venus is low in the west-northwest after sundown.
Shining farther eastward are Regulus, Spica, and Arcturus. In yesterday’s article, we noted that faint Hydra begins near Cancer and Leo, and winds eastward across a long path in the sky.
Tonight, at two hours after sunset, begin in the southeast. Blue-white Spica, Virgo’s brightest star, is about 20° above the horizon and nearly 55° to Regulus’ lower left.
Hydra’s tail passes under Spica. The tip of that tail is below the horizon, about 5° below the southeast horizon.
Corvus the Crow, part of the Hydra myth, resembles a distorted box to Spica’s upper right. While the constellation’s stars are not distinctively bright, their close proximity and unique shape make them easy to locate, even in suburban areas. A binocular helps with the pattern’s identification.
Crater the Cup, also in the snaky story, is much fainter and to Corvus’ upper right where the Snake’s body turns toward the southern horizon. Its stars resemble a sports trophy with a cup on top, smaller than the Stanley Cup, the hockey trophy. Use a binocular to trace its stars.
With its starry head to the west, Hydra the Snake’s body curls eastward, passing under Spica with Corvus and Crater on its back. A binocular helps locate the dimmer stars from locales with outdoor lighting.
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