The stars, they are a changin'

To quote the song of old -- I guess you could call the '60s old -- "The times they are a-changin'." That is true for the stars in the sky as well.

It is only a little more than two weeks until the spring equinox, but the stars of spring have been peeking over the eastern horizon earlier each night for a couple of weeks now.

At 7 p.m. MST in the evening, Orion, the king of winter, is just past due south and as high in the sky as it will get these days. As time progresses it will travel farther west to eventually leave the sky for a few months.

Meanwhile, a whole new sky full of stars is coming up in the east for our viewing pleasure. Hopefully with a few more warm evenings that will enable extended time outside.

Well-placed above the eastern horizon at 7 p.m. MST is the epitome of spring, Leo, the Lion. With a backward question mark indicating its head and mane, and a triangle of stars just east, or below it, marking the hindquarters, Leo is an outstanding target for our early evening viewing.

If you can't find it, look for our old friend, the Big Dipper well above the northeastern horizon. Find the two outer stars in the bowl and instead of drawing a line to the left to find the North Star, go right and slightly down toward Regulus.

Regulus is the dot on the bottom of the question mark and is the brightest star in the constellation and a star usually said to mark the "heart of the Lion."

As the evening progress toward 10 p.m. MST, two more markers of spring will be above the eastern horizon. The very large constellation Virgo, the Maiden, and Bootes (pronounced bo-OH-tees) are above the horizon.

Virgo is the home of the first magnitude star Spica, usually said to mark a sheaf of wheat held in her hand. Spica is a very bright blue star rated by some at between 2,000 to 2,300 times more luminous than our sun. It is located between 250 and 275 light years away.

Bootes is usually referred to as "The Herdsman" or "Guardian" because it follows Ursa Major, the Big Bear, across the sky, although I have never thought of bears as critters who would welcome any form of herding.

The constellation is shaped somewhat like a kite with Arcturus at the bottom point where one would usually tie a tale. The stars of the constellation form a loop up and around from there.

Arcturus is the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere and is about 371 light years away.

These three bright stars, Regulus, Spica, and Arcturus make another nice celestial triangle.

If you are having trouble finding these two bright stars lets go back to our sign-post for the sky, the Big Dipper. Using the arc, or the three stars of the handle, we "arc" to Arcturus then "speed on," or extend the arc, to Spica.

SKY WATCH: Fourth-quarter moon, March 7. In the early morning hours (around 2:30 a.m. MST) of March 6, in the southeast, a last-quarter moon visits bright orange Antares in Scorpius, the Scorpion. In the early evenings hours at about 6:30 p.m. MST look east, low to the horizon for a bright Venus returning to our evening skies. If you use binoculars, you might catch a glimpse of very dim, very distant Uranus above and right of Venus. You will have to keep checking until the sky-glow of sunset leaves the sky.

Just remember to NOT USE BINOCULARS if the sun is still in the sky. Red Mars is also up in the early evening as is the yellowish ringed-planet Saturn. Look for Mars high in the south at about 9pm MST between Gemini and Cancer and for Saturn between Leo and Virgo

NEXT TIME: More astronomical blathering.