Moving slowly toward spring

The sun has been moving slowly along the horizon at sunrise and sunset these past days heading for the Vernal (spring) Equinox on Friday, March 20. It will cross the celestial equator at 5:45 a.m. MDT moving from south to north and will appear to rise directly east and set directly west on that day.

The axis of the Earth tilts 23.5 degrees from the orbital plane and that tilt is responsible for giving us our different seasons. We (the northern hemisphere) are going to start receiving more direct sunlight and warming temperatures and the good folks in the southern hemisphere are going to be just the opposite and will enter their autumn season with accompanying cooler temperatures.

As with the change in season, there is a changing of the guard so to speak of celestial items. Venus, which has been holding attention in evening skies for the past few months now leaves the evening sky and proceeds to dazzle our morning observations leaving Saturn alone as the evening observing anchor.

In fact, if you have nothing else to do on March 25, go outside about 15-20 minutes before sunset, look to the west (if you have a very clear, unobstructed horizon) for our departing sister planet Venus. Then if you have nothing to do 15-20 minutes before sunrise the next day look east (again with the very uncluttered horizon). See if you can find our old friend Venus again. Because it is passing between Earth and the sun so far north, this double-evening event will be possible. I am told that conditions for such double observations occur only every eight years of so.

While you are out in the morning looking for Venus try to find two more of our old friends, Jupiter and Mars. Be advised, Mars will be very dim and binoculars will be needed. Look up and to the right of Venus, Jupiter will be a bright objects and not too difficult to find.

Saturn can be located below the hindquarter of Leo, the Lion just above the eastern horizon in the hours just after sunset. Look for the backward question mark that indicates Leo's head and mane and look further left for a triangle of stars marking the hindquarter. The ringed planet is just past opposition which means it is still at its closest point to Earth for a while. It will be fairly bright even if the rings have almost closed and are difficult to see.

Orion, the hero of winter is now past the meridian in the early evening hours and will continue his slide toward the horizon as the days continue. The Orion nebula is still worth viewing if you haven't seen it yet. If you can, use a telescope, it is one of those sights that will knock your socks off.

SKY WATCH: Since the space shuttle was launched on schedule last Sunday, now would be a good time to look up www.heavens-above.com to see if and when the shuttle and/or the International Space Station will be passing over your area. It is a marvelous sight to see that extremely bright dot silently moving across the sky. If the shuttle is separate from the station it is even more exciting because then there will be two of them. Beginning Sunday, March 22, be out about a half hour before sunrise looking to the southeast for a very slender crescent moon up next to Jupiter. Over the next two days watch at about the same time in the morning as the moon snuggles up next to dim Neptune on the 23rd (binoculars will be essential) and on March 24 next to Mars (see previous statement about binoculars). Look toward the western horizon just after sunset on March 26 for a very, very slender crescent moon up next to Venus. They both will still be in the glare of the setting sun and might be difficult to pull out, even with binoculars.

NEXT TIME: More astronomical blathering.