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Weekly Stargazing Tips
Wednesday, March 7, 2007 9:37:19 PM
Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone.
March 7, 2007
The Moon follows the bright star Spica across the sky late tonight. They climb into view by around 11 p.m., with Spica above the Moon. The distance between them will grow as they scoot across the southern sky during the night. This week the brilliant spring star Arcturus rises above the east-northeast horizon around 8 p.m., depending on where you live in your time zone. Keep watch; how early can you see Arcturus twinkling there? The handle of the Big Dipper, now high in the northeast, curves to point lower right toward the correct place to watch. Mercury is stationary direct 8:45pm PST; 04:45 UT 3/8.
March 8, 2007
Virgo is taking its place as one of the dominant constellations of spring. Its brightest star, Spica, climbs into view in the east-southeast by around 10 p.m., with most of the rest of Virgo stretching above it and to the left. Mira, the prototype long-period variable star, should be at its maximum brightness (3rd or 4th magnitude) around this date, even as it sinks low in the southwest during early evening. This is the first time in several years that we get to see Mira at maximum during evening. Titan is due north of Saturn.
March 9, 2007
March comes in like a lion as the constellation Leo climbs the eastern evening sky. It crouches low at sunset and springs high overhead during the night. Its brightest star, Regulus, is at the bottom of the hook-shaped pattern of stars that outlines Leo's head and mane. Jupiter is at quadrature, 90° west of the Sun in the early-morning sky.
March 10, 2007
Spring won't arrive for 10 days, but it's already time to "spring forward" into Daylight Saving Time. New rules go into effect this year that extend Daylight Saving Time by about a month. It now begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Also on March 10 is a flyby of Titan by Cassini, which includes imaging an area just north of the equator, temperature mapping, and monitoring of cloud motion.
March 11, 2007
The Moon swings below the planet Jupiter before dawn tomorrow. Jupiter looks like a brilliant cream-colored star almost directly above the Moon as they climb into view by around 3 a.m., and to its upper right at first light. From 9:27 to 9:30 p.m. EDT on the evening of March 11, the 16th magnitude asteroid 1348 Michel, 17 km in diameter, will block the light from the 8th magnitude star TYC1852-00471-1 for about one second along a path passing through Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Location is everything in observing events like this, so make sure you’re in the right place by using the maps below. Early at dawn, the waning Moon shines to the lower right of Jupiter near Antares. The Moon's bright edge occults (covers) the 3rd-magnitude star Tau Scorpii for parts of the East Coast in the early morning hours of the 11th.
Occultation Map 1 Occultation Map 2
March 12, 2007
The crescent Moon passes through the middle of the "teapot" that outlines Sagittarius in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. The planet Jupiter, which looks like a brilliant star, is well to the upper right of the Moon, with the star Antares to the right of Jupiter.
March 13, 2007
A ghostly pyramid of light sometimes rises from the western horizon on moonless March evenings. It's called the zodiacal light because it is found in the zodiac. This pale glow is caused by sunlight reflecting off microscopic dust grains in the plane of Earth's orbit.
RELATED LINKS:
* SkyTonight.com's almanac
* Spring Equinox
* The Equinoctial Earth Day
* Heavens-Above
March 7, 2007The Moon follows the bright star Spica across the sky late tonight. They climb into view by around 11 p.m., with Spica above the Moon. The distance between them will grow as they scoot across the southern sky during the night. This week the brilliant spring star Arcturus rises above the east-northeast horizon around 8 p.m., depending on where you live in your time zone. Keep watch; how early can you see Arcturus twinkling there? The handle of the Big Dipper, now high in the northeast, curves to point lower right toward the correct place to watch. Mercury is stationary direct 8:45pm PST; 04:45 UT 3/8.
March 8, 2007Virgo is taking its place as one of the dominant constellations of spring. Its brightest star, Spica, climbs into view in the east-southeast by around 10 p.m., with most of the rest of Virgo stretching above it and to the left. Mira, the prototype long-period variable star, should be at its maximum brightness (3rd or 4th magnitude) around this date, even as it sinks low in the southwest during early evening. This is the first time in several years that we get to see Mira at maximum during evening. Titan is due north of Saturn.
March 9, 2007March comes in like a lion as the constellation Leo climbs the eastern evening sky. It crouches low at sunset and springs high overhead during the night. Its brightest star, Regulus, is at the bottom of the hook-shaped pattern of stars that outlines Leo's head and mane. Jupiter is at quadrature, 90° west of the Sun in the early-morning sky.
March 10, 2007Spring won't arrive for 10 days, but it's already time to "spring forward" into Daylight Saving Time. New rules go into effect this year that extend Daylight Saving Time by about a month. It now begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Also on March 10 is a flyby of Titan by Cassini, which includes imaging an area just north of the equator, temperature mapping, and monitoring of cloud motion.
March 11, 2007The Moon swings below the planet Jupiter before dawn tomorrow. Jupiter looks like a brilliant cream-colored star almost directly above the Moon as they climb into view by around 3 a.m., and to its upper right at first light. From 9:27 to 9:30 p.m. EDT on the evening of March 11, the 16th magnitude asteroid 1348 Michel, 17 km in diameter, will block the light from the 8th magnitude star TYC1852-00471-1 for about one second along a path passing through Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Location is everything in observing events like this, so make sure you’re in the right place by using the maps below. Early at dawn, the waning Moon shines to the lower right of Jupiter near Antares. The Moon's bright edge occults (covers) the 3rd-magnitude star Tau Scorpii for parts of the East Coast in the early morning hours of the 11th.
Occultation Map 1 Occultation Map 2
March 12, 2007The crescent Moon passes through the middle of the "teapot" that outlines Sagittarius in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. The planet Jupiter, which looks like a brilliant star, is well to the upper right of the Moon, with the star Antares to the right of Jupiter.
March 13, 2007A ghostly pyramid of light sometimes rises from the western horizon on moonless March evenings. It's called the zodiacal light because it is found in the zodiac. This pale glow is caused by sunlight reflecting off microscopic dust grains in the plane of Earth's orbit.
RELATED LINKS:
* SkyTonight.com's almanac
* Spring Equinox
* The Equinoctial Earth Day
* Heavens-Above
