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From: Blake Maybank <bmaybank@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2015 17:56:52 -0300
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*Courtesy of Nelson Poirier:*

*This Week's Sky at a Glance*

*Ma=E2=80=8Brch=E2=80=8B =E2=80=8B20 - 28*

 As dusk turns to night, spot Venus still shining in the west. Spring began
in the Northern Hemisphere at the equinox, 7:45 p.m., Friday, March 20.
This is when the Sun crosses the equator heading north for the season.


The word "equinox" comes from night and day supposedly being equal on this
date, but that's not really true. It would be true if Earth had no
atmosphere and the Sun was a point rather than a disk. Sunrise and sunset
are counted not from when the Sun's center is on the true horizon, but when
its top edge is on the horizon; this adds a couple minutes to daytime. And
third, atmospheric refraction at the horizon elevates the Sun by about its
own apparent diameter, adding a few more minutes before sunset time.



On Saturday, March 21, in twilight look west well below Venus for a very
thin waxing crescent Moon close to Mars. We see the Moon's night side
(dimly earthlit), and just a little of the sunlit side around the edge,
because the Moon is still nearly along our line of sight to the Sun.
Faraway Mars shows us mostly its day side, because it's nearly on the same
line of sight on the far side of the Sun.


On Sunday, March 22. Crescent Moon and Venus. Look west in twilight for the
waxing crescent now posing with Venus. At the times of twilight, Venus is
3=C2=B0 or 4=C2=B0 to the Moon's right. Although they look close together, =
Venus is
currently 520 times farther away.


On Monday, March 23, Venus shines well to the Moon's lower right this
evening.


Venus is brightest point of light at dusk. The second-brightest is Jupiter,
much higher in the southeast. Look to the right of Jupiter by two or three
fists at arm's length for Procyon; look the same distance lower right from
Procyon, and there's the evening's third-brightest point, Sirius.


On Wednesday, March 25, look well to the left of the Moon this evening for
Betelgeuse in the top of declining Orion. Look lower right of the Moon for
similarly-coloured Aldebaran, not quite as bright.


On Friday, March 27, the Moon will enter its First Quarter Phase meaning it
will rise at noon and set at midnight


On Thursday evening, March 26, the Moon forms a big kite shape with bright
Jupiter far to its left, Pollux to the Moon's upper left, and Procyon to
its lower left.


On Saturday, March 28, the Moon shines inside the triangle of Jupiter,
Pollux, and Procyon.


On Saturday, March 21, the sun will rise at 7:19 a.m. and will set at 7:33
p.m. giving 12 hours 13 minutes of daylight.  On Saturday, March 28, the
sun will rise at 7:05 a.m. and set at 7:42 p.m. to give 12 hours 36 minutes
of daylight hours. (These values are for Moncton, New Brunswick).


 *This Week's Planet Roundup *

*Mercury* is hidden deep in the glow of sunrise.

*Venus* (magnitude =E2=80=934.0) blazes in the west during and after evenin=
g
twilight as the unmistakable "Evening Star."

*Mars* is magnitude +1.3, less than 1% as bright as Venus. It's gradually
sinking ever farther below or lower right of Venus =E2=80=94 from 12=C2=B0 =
below it on
March 20th to 15=C2=B0 below on the 27th.

*Jupiter* (magnitude =E2=80=932.4) shines high in the southeast as the star=
s come
out. It's the brightest point of light on that side of the sky. It passes
highest in the south around 11 p.m.

*Saturn* (magnitude +0.3) rises around 1:00 a.m. It's highest in the south
just before dawn begins. Below or lower left of Saturn by 8=C2=B0 is orange
Antares.

*Blake's Pick**=E2=80=8B=E2=80=8B** of NASA's Weekly Photos:*
=E2=80=8B  *Northern Equinox Eclipse * <http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150321.=
html>
=E2=80=8B
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150321.html

--=20
Blake Maybank <bmaybank@gmail.com>
White's Lake, Nova Scotia

My Blog:  *CSI: Life* <http://blakemaybank.com>

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

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><font size=3D"4"><b>Cour=
tesy of Nelson
Poirier:</b><br><u><b><br></b></u></font><div style=3D"text-align:center"><=
font size=3D"4"><u><b>This Week&#39;s <span>Sky</span> at a Glance</b></u><=
/font><br><font size=3D"4"><u><b>Ma<div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fo=
nt-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large;display:inline">=E2=80=8Brch=E2=
=80=8B</div> <div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:tahoma,sans-=
serif;font-size:large;display:inline">=E2=80=8B20 - 28<br></div></b></u></f=
ont></div><font size=3D"4"><br>













</font><font size=3D"4">

</font><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:14pt;line-height:115=
%;font-family:&quot;Lucida Sans&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:rgb(51,5=
1,51)" lang=3D"EN-US">As dusk turns to night, spot Venus still shining in
the west. Spring began in the Northern Hemisphere at the equinox, 7:45 p.m.=
,
Friday, March 20. This is when the Sun crosses the equator heading north fo=
r
the season.</span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:14pt;=
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Lucida Sans&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;=
;color:rgb(51,51,51)" lang=3D"EN-US"><br></span></p>

<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:14pt;line-height:115%;font-=
family:&quot;Lucida Sans&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:rgb(51,51,51)" =
lang=3D"EN-US">The word &quot;equinox&quot; comes from night and
day supposedly being equal on this date, but that&#39;s not really true. It=
 would
be true if Earth had no atmosphere and the Sun was a point rather than a di=
sk.
Sunrise and sunset are counted not from when the Sun&#39;s center is on the=
 true
horizon, but when its top edge is on the horizon; this adds a couple minute=
s to
daytime. And third, atmospheric refraction at the horizon elevates the Sun =
by
about its own apparent diameter, adding a few more minutes before sunset ti=
me.</span></p>

<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:14pt;line-height:115%;font-=
family:&quot;Lucida Sans&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:rgb(51,51,51)" =
lang=3D"EN-US">=C2=A0</span></p>

<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:14pt;line-height:115%;font-=
family:&quot;Lucida Sans&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:rgb(51,51,51)" =
lang=3D"EN-US">On Saturday, March 21, in twilight look west well
below Venus for a very thin waxing crescent Moon close to Mars. We see the
Moon&#39;s night side (dimly earthlit), and just a little of the sunlit sid=
e around
the edge, because the Moo