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--047d7b86e210a9b11904f4b6e00f Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable *Courtesy of Nelson Poirier:* *This Week's Sky at a Glance* *March 14 - 22* The *Big Dipper* glitters high in the northeast these evenings, standing on its handle. The two stars forming the front of the Dipper's bowl (currently on top) are the Pointers; they point to Polaris, currently to their left. If you follow the curve of the Dipper's handle out and around by a little more than a Dipper length, you'll arc to *Arcturus*, now rising in the east. Draw a line diagonally across the Dipper's bowl from where the handle is attached, continue far on, and you'll go to *Gemini*. On Sunday, March 16, the *Moon *will go into its Full Phase meaning we will see it all night. Expect higher high tides and lower low tides. On Thursday, March 20, Spring begins at the equinox: 1:57 p.m. This is when the Sun crosses the equator heading north for the year. This year's huge "*Winter Diamond*" - bright Jupiter on top, bright Sirius on the bottom, and Procyon and Betelgeuse forming the left and right corners - persists well into spring. It stands straight up in the south around dusk, and then tips westward as the evening advances. On Saturday, March 15, the *sun *rose at 7:32 a.m. and will set at 7:25 p.m. giving 11 hours 52 minutes of daylight hours. On Saturday, March 22, the sun will rise at 7:19 a.m. and set at 7:35 p.m. to give 12 hours 15 minutes of daylight hours (These values are for Moncton, New Brunswick). The days are getting longer, birds are getting brighter plumage and males are getting more vocal. *This week's report announces official Spring!* Sometime on Thursday. *This Week's Planet Roundup * *Mercury *(magnitude +0.1) is low above the east-southeast horizon a half hour before sunrise. Look for it 20=B0 lower left of bright Venus. Binocula= rs will help. *Venus *(magnitude -4.6) shines as the bright "Morning Star" before and during dawn; look southeast. *Mars *(magnitude -0.9) rises soon after dark, a fiery blaze with fainter icy Spica 5=B0 to its right. They're highest in the south around 4 a.m. *Jupiter *(magnitude -2.3) dominates sky overhead at dusk, then sinks westward through the late evening and early morning hours. *Saturn *(magnitude +0.3) rises around midnight and is highest in the south before dawn begins. By then it's far left of Mars and Spica, and less far to the upper right of Mars-coloured Antares. *Blake's Pick of NASA's Weekly Photos*: *The Sun Rotating <http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140312.html> * (video) http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140312.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> --047d7b86e210a9b11904f4b6e00f Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><font size=3D"4"><b>Courtesy 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's Sky at a Glance</b></u></font><br><fo= nt size=3D"4"><u><b>March 14 - 22</b></u></font><br></div><font size=3D"4">= <br> The <span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>Big Dipper</b></span> glitters hi= gh in the northeast these evenings, standing on its handle. The two stars f= orming the front of the Dipper's bowl (currently on top) are the Pointe= rs; they point to Polaris, currently to their left. <br> <br>If you follow the curve of the Dipper's handle out and around by a = little more than a Dipper length, you'll arc to <span style=3D"color:rg= b(0,0,255)"><b>Arcturus</b></span>, now rising in the east. <br><br>Draw a = line diagonally across the Dipper's bowl from where the handle is attac= hed, continue far on, and you'll go to <span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255= )"><b>Gemini</b></span>. <br> <br>On Sunday, March 16, the <span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>Moon </b= ></span>will go into its Full Phase meaning we will see it all night. Expec= t higher high tides and lower low tides. <br><br>On Thursday, March 20, Spr= ing begins at the equinox: 1:57 p.m. This is when the Sun crosses the equat= or heading north for the year. <br> <br>This year's huge "<span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>Winter= Diamond</b></span>" - bright Jupiter on top, bright Sirius on the bot= tom, and Procyon and Betelgeuse forming the left and right corners - persis= ts well into spring. It stands straight up in the south around dusk, and th= en tips westward as the evening advances. <br> <br>On Saturday, March 15, the <span style=3D"color:rgb(204,204,204)"><b>su= n </b></span>rose at 7:32 a.m. and will set at 7:25 p.m. giving 11 hours 52= minutes of daylight hours.=A0 On Saturday, March 22, the sun will rise at = 7:19 a.m. and set at 7:35 p.m. to give 12 hours 15 minutes of daylight hour= s (These values are for Moncton, New Brunswick). The days are getting longe= r, birds are getting brighter plumage and males are getting more vocal. <sp= an style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>This week's report=A0 announces offi= cial Spring!</b></span><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:ta= homa,sans-serif;font-size:large;display:inline"> Sometime on Thursday.</div> <br><br></font><div style=3D"text-align:center"><font size=3D"4"><u><b>This= Week's Planet Roundup </b></u></font><br></div><font size=3D"4"><br> <span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>Mercury </b></span>(magnitude +0.1) i= s low above the east-southeast horizon a half hour before sunrise. Look for= it 20=B0 lower left of bright Venus. Binoculars will help. <br><br><span s= tyle=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>Venus </b></span>(magnitude -4.6) shines as = the bright "Morning Star" before and during dawn; look southeast.= <br> <br><span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>Mars </b></span>(magnitude -0.9) = rises soon after dark, a fiery blaze with fainter icy Spica 5=B0 to its rig= ht. They're highest in the south around 4 a.m. <br><br><span style=3D"c= olor:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>Jupiter </b></span>(magnitude -2.3) dominates sky ove= rhead at dusk, then sinks westward through the late evening and early morni= ng hours. <br> <br><span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,255)"><b>Saturn </b></span>(magnitude +0.3= ) rises around midnight and is highest in the south before dawn b