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--001a1133209a3b8e800511faeaff Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable *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> --001a1133209a3b8e800511faeaff Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <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'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:"Lucida Sans","sans-serif";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:"Lucida Sans","sans-serif"= ;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:"Lucida Sans","sans-serif";color:rgb(51,51,51)" = lang=3D"EN-US">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 di= sk. 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 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:"Lucida Sans","sans-serif";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:"Lucida Sans","sans-serif";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's night side (dimly earthlit), and just a little of the sunlit sid= e around the edge, because the Moo