Category Archives: Earth and Space

Postings pertaining to Earth and Space Sciences including current celestial events, exploration, and education.

Moon – Venus/Pleiades/Asteroid Vesta Conjunction

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   It is Earth Hour on Saturday evening March 28th. So while you have the lights off step outside, if possible and weather permitting, and look toward the western horizon for the 4.5-day old waxing crescent Moon to be near the inner planet Venus (about 7o) and about 2-3o from Asteroid Vesta over the western horizon at sunset local time. With binoculars you can almost fit the Moon, Pleiades, and Venus within the field of view.

   Keep an eye on this area because over the next week or so Venus will move across and then past the open star cluster, the Pleiades. This animated graphic is set to 1-day intervals from April 2nd to April 5th.
   The Moon is also in motion as it continues its eastward motion across the sky but the dates for the graphic the Moon has moved past this area.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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Let the Triangle Point the Way

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   In the morning skies, before sunrise local time, look toward the southeastern horizon for Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn to be arranged along the ecliptic in a grouping that starting with today will fit within the field of view of binoculars. If your skies are dark enough you may notice 3 bright stars arranged in a large triangle above the three planets. The stars, Vega, Deneb, and Altair, each from a different constellation, form the asterism known as the Summer Triangle.
   Over the next several days, into next month, Mars will steadily close in on Saturn for a nice close conjunction of about 1o on Tuesday March 31st.
   Further east, and lower, is the Dwarf Planet Ceres, and the innermost planet Mercury.

   And don’t forget – in the evening skies for the next several days the planet Venus will be closing in on the open star cluster, the Pleiades. This animated graphic is set for 1-day intervals from April 2nd-5th.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
The morning planets

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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It’s Earth Hour for 8 Billion Angels

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   Saturday March 28th is the annual Earth Hour celebration. Started in 2007 the Earth Hour celebration is a world-wide citizen-powered effort to call attention to our planet’s environment and the need to better take care of our home (our only home).
   Earth Hour, although one hour, is an ongoing effort to encourage taking action about climate change as well as the destruction of nature and decreases in biodiversity.
   So on Saturday evening March 28th, at 8:30 pm (your local time), turn the electrically powered lights off in your house for one hour. But don’t stop there. Act locally and think globally! Get involved – stay involved.
   With lights out this may be a good time to step outside, weather permitting, and take a look at what could possibly be darker night skies with lights off in your neighborhood. That’s the 4.5-day old waxing crescent Moon near the inner planet Venus. And Venus is just a few days away from passing across the open star cluster, the Pleiades.

   From the Earth Hour web site:

This year, we are facing Earth Hour in exceptional circumstances with countries around the world experiencing a health crisis with the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). In light of the latest developments, the Earth Hour global organizing team is recommending all individuals to take part in Earth Hour digitally this year.

   The Best of the Earth Observatory
   Choose the best among 32 pictures of Earth as seen by the many Earth-orbiting satellites. If you are not familiar with the Earth Observatory web site it is an incredible resource of images of our home planet.

   That’s us, and we have a home that is danger from not only climate change, the destruction of nature, and decreases in biodiversity, but our only home is also loosing to the demands of an increasing population and its effect on the local environment. At the 8 Billion Angels web site there is information about the effect a growing population is having on our planet. Be sure to watch the video trailer and perhaps consider organizing a community viewing.
click on graphic to go to the Earth Overshoot web site   Continue learning about our impact on the Earth by visiting the 8 Billion Angels companion web site Earth Overshoot.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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March Moon at Apogee

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   Our Moon reaches apogee, (greatest distance from Earth), for this orbit, on Tuesday March 24th. At that time the new Moon will be at a distance of 31.88 Earth diameters 252,712 miles (406,700 km) from the Earth.

   This is the greatest apogee distance, and smallest appearing (if you could see it) for our Moon this year. In other words this new Moon is a ‘Super-Mini Moon’!

   On the day of the apogee Moon the Moon is at new Moon phase so it rises with the Sun and sets with the Sun. Start watching for the waxing crescent Moon in the evening skies at sunset in a day or so.

   However there are four of the six naked-eye visible planets over the east-southeastern horizon before the Sun and new Moon rise.

   Does our Moon actually go around the Earth as this graphic shows? From our perspective on the Earth the Moon appears to circle around the Earth. However, in reality, the Moon orbits the Sun together with the Earth*

   *Click here to read my 2006 Scope on the Sky column “The Real Shape of the Moon’s Orbit”. (PDF)

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to go to bobs-spaces.


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Solar Opposites

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   Inner planets like all the planets as viewed from Earth appear to be moving from one side of the Sun to the other. As a result the visible planets are seen either in the morning skies when located west from the Sun and rising before the Sun rises, or in the evening skies east from the Sun, and setting after the Sun sets. For the two inner planets, Mercury and Venus, these positions on either side of the Sun are known as elongations – western or greatest western elongation and its counterpart, eastern or greatest eastern elongation.
   As the graphics below show, both inner planets reach their respective elongations – but on opposite sides of the sun. Monday March 23rd Mercury is at western elongation in the morning skies, and on Tuesday March 24th Venus will be at eastern elongation in the evening skies.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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Morning, Evening Planets, and the ISS

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   Finally had some clear skies, last night and this morning. So, despite wind and 25-30oF temperatures I was able to catch the ISS during its orbit over my part of the world. Since Venus was also very visible and I was at the local sports complex I included the baseball sign in the picture.
   This morning had very clear skies and no wind, but the temperature was around 20oF, so I took the pictures of Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter from in front of my house.


   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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Moon – Mercury Conjunction

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   Saturday morning March 21st the thin 27-day old waning crescent Moon will be about 7o from the innermost planet Mercury as the two rise about an hour before the Sun rises. Should make for a great view in the field of view of binoculars.
   Still adding to the morning planet viewing are the outer planets Saturn, and the close conjunctions between Mars and Jupiter.

   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.


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