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March 2010
The warmer nights of spring bring a panoply of new stars and constellations for skywatchers to enjoy. Leo is in good view by nightfall, climbing straight up from the eastern horizon, led by his bright "heart," the star Regulus. Virgo follows the lion a couple of hours later. Boötes, the herdsman, is to the maiden's left, marked by yellow-orange Arcturus, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. The planet Venus begins its climb into the evening sky, where it will remain until about Halloween.
This Week's Stargazing Tips
March 11, 2010
One of the most beautiful double stars is Algieba, in Leo, the lion, a constellation that is prominent during spring. Seen through a telescope, both of its stars shine a lovely golden yellow.
March 12, 2010
The two closest and most prominent star clusters are high in the west at nightfall. The Hyades looks like a downward-pointing letter V, with a bright orange star at one point. The dipper-shaped Pleiades is to the right of the Hyades.
March 13, 2010
The divided halves of a snake are moving into the evening sky. Known as Serpens, the serpent, they rise beginning in late evening. The constellation is split because the snake wraps around the intervening stars of Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer.
March 14, 2010
A pale 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 glow is caused by sunlight reflecting off of microscopic dust grains in space.
March 15, 2010
The Moon is "new" at 4:01 p.m. CDT as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and Sun. It is lost from sight in the Sun's glare, but should return to view on Wednesday evening as a thin crescent low in the west shortly after sunset.
March 16, 2010
The planet Venus is slowly returning to prominence. It is quite low in the west at sunset, and sets in early evening. Look for it a little to the left or upper left of the Moon as darkness falls tonight, and well below the Moon tomorrow evening.
March 17, 2010
When spring arrives on Saturday, the Sun will be passing through the constellation Pisces. Over time, though, the Sun's location at the vernal equinox slips westward. About 6,500 years ago, it was just above the head of Orion, the hunter.
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