International Dark Sky Week 2025: See these 10 night sky sights to celebrate

April 21 - 28 is International Dark Sky Week, a global celebration of the night sky.

Light pollution is a serious issue for night sky enthusiasts hoping to explore the cosmos from our vantage point on Earth .

The majority of viewing targets are easily accessible to newcomers using nothing but the naked eye and a dark sky.

Many of the most impressive sights will be found under clear, unspoiled dark skies, but many can be observed in urban areas.

To find Betelgeuse in the April night sky, you need only look to the western sky soon after sunset.

Mars is located relatively close to the bright stars Castor and Pollox .

The Beehive cluster is home to around 1,000 stars that are loosely bound together by gravitational attraction.

The Sombrero Galaxy (M 104 ) is one of the most iconic and easily recognizable cosmic objects discovered by astronomers.

Bode 's galaxy is one of the brightest galaxies to be found in the night sky, with an apparent magnitude of +6.9.

The Andromeda galaxy is best viewed in the hours before dawn by looking to the north eastern horizon and finding the prominent star Mirach close to the horizon.