I don鈥檛 know about you, but to me, it seems like we had a DMV winter complete with more snow and cooler temps than in recent memory. I, for one, am glad Spring has sprung.
March 1 marked 鈥淢eteorological Spring鈥� and the Universe brings us 鈥渁stronomical Spring,” known as which at 11:33 a.m.
Another astronomical sign of spring is that the constellations of winter 鈥� Orion the Hunter and others 鈥� are now in the southwestern and northwestern skies as it gets dark, with the spring constellations 鈥� Leo the Lion and others 鈥� rising in the east. Be sure to look for the fourth brightest star in the night sky, Arcturus, at about 9:30 p.m. You can鈥檛 miss it in the northeastern sky. Oh, and the Big Dipper is just to the left of Arcturus.
and the red planet is headed for an eye-catching appearance later this year, to include an occultation by the full moon. It is in the southeast sky before dawn and is keeping brilliant Venus and much-dimmer Saturn company 鈥� March 28.
This month marks my 16th year as 海角社区app鈥檚 space reporter, and I am hoping that COVID-19 and world events will allow resumption of astronomy events in our region. It has been a long two years since I did my last in-person event and cruise ship lecturer sailing.
I hope you will join me next month at Shenandoah National Park, where I hope to resume . I will also be conducting an on Aug. 26.
you may find of interest. Be sure to check the official park website for the latest before visiting and take a look at which includes links to local area astronomy clubs. Oh, and mark your calendars now for , held on Aug. 19.
If you want to experience beautiful night skies in a rural and wonderful setting, then you do not want to miss Also starting next month, on to be specific, I will be giving our audiences astronomy and space presentations, followed by a magical hour under the stars that will include live telescope views of the Universe.
is a very useful resource to find astronomy and space events. It is the聽product of a partnership between NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Provide a general location and you will see events in your immediate area. The network is also chock full of astronomical resources for you to use.
I hope all of us can get out to enjoy the night skies through any of these marvelous opportunities. If you can鈥檛 make an event, the night sky still awaits you 鈥� all you have to do is look up.
and daily blog聽to keep up with and space exploration. You can also email me at skyguyinva@gmail.com.
