Tonight – March 30, 2017 – look for the waxing crescent moon and red desert world Mars. To view tonight’s evening couple, simply look in your western sky at nightfall and early evening. Keep in mind that Mars will appear no brighter than a modestly-bright star.
On March 30, the lit side of the waxing crescent moon points in the direction of the planet Mercury. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere tropics, you might catch this world with the eye alone an hour or so after sunset. If you can’t see Mercury with the unaided eye, try your luck with binoculars.
Mercury won’t be easily visible from southern temperate latitudes, even with binoculars, because it sets so soon after the sun.
Given a clear sky, everyone worldwide should be able to see the bright star Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster, the constellation Taurus the Bull’s two most prominent signposts. Over the next several days, watch as the moon travels in front of this backdrop constellation of the zodiac.
Watch for the waxing crescent moon to meet up with Mars on March 30 and the Pleiades star cluster on March 31. The green line depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the zodiac.
By the way … why is Mars faint now? Sometimes it’s as bright as Jupiter (which, by the way, can be seen ascending in the east when true darkness falls). Jupiter is bright because it’s so big, and it’s particularly bright now because it’s about to reach its yearly opposition when Earth goes between it and the sun. That’ll happen on April 7. So Jupiter and Earth are on the same side of the solar system now, nearly at their closest for 2017. Meanwhile, Mars is far across the solar system from Earth now, and that’s why it currently appears so faint. Earth will soon “turn the corner” ahead of Mars in orbit, causing Mars to fall into the sun’s glare.
In any year, you can follow an imaginary arc in the handle of the Big Dipper to the bright stars Arcturus and Spica. This year, 2017, is extra special because the dazzling planet Jupiter beams close to Spica all year long.
Bottom line: Let the moon guide your eye to the red planet Mars (and possibly Mercury) as darkness falls on March 30. Then – after it gets good and dark – turn eastward to see Jupiter rising.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2lmphDn
Tonight – March 30, 2017 – look for the waxing crescent moon and red desert world Mars. To view tonight’s evening couple, simply look in your western sky at nightfall and early evening. Keep in mind that Mars will appear no brighter than a modestly-bright star.
On March 30, the lit side of the waxing crescent moon points in the direction of the planet Mercury. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere tropics, you might catch this world with the eye alone an hour or so after sunset. If you can’t see Mercury with the unaided eye, try your luck with binoculars.
Mercury won’t be easily visible from southern temperate latitudes, even with binoculars, because it sets so soon after the sun.
Given a clear sky, everyone worldwide should be able to see the bright star Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster, the constellation Taurus the Bull’s two most prominent signposts. Over the next several days, watch as the moon travels in front of this backdrop constellation of the zodiac.
Watch for the waxing crescent moon to meet up with Mars on March 30 and the Pleiades star cluster on March 31. The green line depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the zodiac.
By the way … why is Mars faint now? Sometimes it’s as bright as Jupiter (which, by the way, can be seen ascending in the east when true darkness falls). Jupiter is bright because it’s so big, and it’s particularly bright now because it’s about to reach its yearly opposition when Earth goes between it and the sun. That’ll happen on April 7. So Jupiter and Earth are on the same side of the solar system now, nearly at their closest for 2017. Meanwhile, Mars is far across the solar system from Earth now, and that’s why it currently appears so faint. Earth will soon “turn the corner” ahead of Mars in orbit, causing Mars to fall into the sun’s glare.
In any year, you can follow an imaginary arc in the handle of the Big Dipper to the bright stars Arcturus and Spica. This year, 2017, is extra special because the dazzling planet Jupiter beams close to Spica all year long.
Bottom line: Let the moon guide your eye to the red planet Mars (and possibly Mercury) as darkness falls on March 30. Then – after it gets good and dark – turn eastward to see Jupiter rising.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2lmphDn
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