[NatureNS] The Coming Week's Night Sky Highlights

Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:12:00 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Blake Maybank <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


--=====================_459381000==.ALT
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Forwarded from the NatureNB discussion group:

** THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE:

On Saturday, March 26, the MOON [Lune] will go=20
into its Last Quarter phase. The half-lit Moon=20
rises in the middle of the night and is high in the south before sunrise.

The BIG DIPPER [Grand Ours] now stands on its=20
handle high in the northeast right after dark.=20
Its topmost two stars, the pointers, point left=20
or lower left toward POLARIS, the North Star,=20
about three fist-widths at arm's length from them.

Sirius, the Dog Star, is the brightest star=20
shining in the south-southwest after dusk. At a=20
distance of 8.6 light-years away, it's the=20
nearest thing outside our solar system that's=20
visible to the naked eye from Earth's mid-northern latitudes.


This Week's Planet Roundup:

MERCURY [Mercure], low in the west during=20
twilight, fades from magnitude 0 to +1.5 this=20
week, and one can watch how fast it dims from day to day.

VENUS [V=E9nus], at magnitude -4.0, shines low in the east-southeast during=
 dawn.

MARS remains out of sight behind the glare of the Sun until summer.

JUPITER, magnitude -2.1, is disappearing into the=20
sunset. Using binoculars, you can try for it=20
early in the week below Mercury while twilight is=20
still bright. Look due west. A birding scope=20
should nicely show some of its moons.

SATURN [Saturne], at magnitude +0.4,  is nearing=20
its April 3rd opposition. It rises in twilight=20
and glows in the east-southeast during evening.=20
Saturn is best seen in a birding scope much later=20
in the night when it gains high altitude. It's=20
highest in the south around 1:00 am.  In a=20
birding scope one can see Saturn's rings at 9=B0 from edge on.


----------

Wishing you clear skies,

Blake


----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-
Blake Maybank
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/
902-852-2077

Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"
http://nsbs.chebucto.org

Organiser, Maritimes Nature Travel Club
http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel

author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns
Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers:
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d

White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada =20
--=====================_459381000==.ALT
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html>
<body>
Forwarded from the NatureNB discussion group:<br><br>
<b><u>** THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE:<br><br>
</u></b>On Saturday, March 26, the MOON [Lune] will go into its Last
Quarter phase. The half-lit Moon rises in the middle of the night and is
high in the south before sunrise. <br><br>
The <b>BIG DIPPER</b> [Grand Ours] now stands on its handle high in the
northeast right after dark. Its topmost two stars, the pointers, point
left or lower left toward <b>POLARIS</b>, the North Star, about three
fist-widths at arm's length from them. <br><br>
Sirius, the Dog Star, is the brightest star shining in the
south-southwest after dusk. At a distance of 8.6 light-years away, it's
the nearest thing outside our solar system that's visible to the naked
eye from Earth's mid-northern latitudes. <br><br>
<br>
<b><u>This Week's Planet Roundup:<br><br>
</u>MERCURY</b> [Mercure], low in the west during twilight, fades from
magnitude 0 to +1.5 this week, and one can watch how fast it dims from
day to day. <br><br>
<b>VENUS </b>[V=E9nus], at magnitude -4.0, shines low in the east-southeast
during dawn.<br><br>
<b>MARS </b>remains out of sight behind the glare of the Sun until
summer. <br><br>
<b>JUPITER</b>, magnitude -2.1, is disappearing into the sunset. Using
binoculars, you can try for it early in the week below Mercury while
twilight is still bright. Look due west. A birding scope should nicely
show some of its moons.<br><br>
<b>SATURN </b>[Saturne], at magnitude +0.4,&nbsp; is nearing its April
3rd opposition. It rises in twilight and glows in the east-southeast
during evening. Saturn is best seen in a birding scope much later in the
night when it gains high altitude. It's highest in the south around 1:00
am.&nbsp; In a birding scope one can see Saturn's rings at 9=B0 from edge
on.<br><br>
<hr>
<br>
Wishing you clear skies,<br><br>
Blake<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-<br>
Blake Maybank<br>
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<br>
<a href=3D"http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/<br>
</a>902-852-2077<br><br>
Editor, &quot;Nova Scotia Birds&quot;<br>
<a href=3D"http://nsbs.chebucto.org/" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://nsbs.chebucto.org<br><br>
</a>Organiser, Maritimes Nature Travel Club<br>
<font color=3D"#0000FF"><u>
<a href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel</a></u></font> <br><br>
author, &quot;Birding Sites of Nova Scotia&quot;<br>
<font color=3D"#0000FF"><u>
<a href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/birdingns" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns<br>
</a></u></font>Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back
covers:<br>
<a href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/mr627d" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d</a> <br><br>
White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada </body>
</html>

--=====================_459381000==.ALT--

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects