We saw the Total Lunar eclipse last year on the winter solstice and we also saw some shooting stars. I painted a picture after making a sketch of it.
We also took some photos and my dad got the best photo of it
Here is a link to a webpage that gives info on what to look for in the night skies over the next month
http://www.facebook.com/notes/magis-center-of-reason-and-faith/keep-looking-up-february-24-march-3/185504291487700
EXTRACT:
Keep Looking Up- February 24-March 3
- Tthe Sun passes the celestial equator - travelling north & marks the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere’s spring.
Highlights for the Month:
Jupiter is dominates the western evening sky but after the first week is joined by the planet closest to the Sun that being Mercury. Mercury’s appearance begins around March 8 and by mid month it passes within 2 degrees of Jupiter. Jupiter however will continue to set a little earlier each day while Mercury will continue it climb until on Sunday March 22nd it lies 19 degrees above the horizon. Mercury will become the brightest object in the western sky. This is a great chance to see the innermost planet so be sure not to miss it.
Now here is the cool part. On the night of March 17th while you are viewing Mercury, NASA’s probe known as Messenger will be entering orbit around the nearest planet. The name of the probe is called Messenger and will orbit Mercury for over a year. I will monitor its progress but for those that would like to hear more about this probe, please go to www.nasa.gov and search for “Messenger”.
Pushing on past Jupiter we come to Saturn. In March it begins its climb just after sunset, rising in the eastern sky. Saturn will be accompanied by two stars, Spica and Arcturus which are two very prominent stars in the northern hemisphere. Spica is 10 degrees below the planet while Arcturus is 30 degrees to the planet’s left. More about these stars later this next month.
Two more planets appear jus before dawn. One of course is Venus which we can never miss but late in March it will be accompanied by Neptune which rests just above it.
You will definitely need a telescope or steady binoculars to view Neptune’s bluish grey color.
Don’t forget to train your telescope this month at the constellation Orion. It is well placed for observing and you should spend some time observing the nebula which is always visible. Remember that the light that shows off the gas that you see is generated by the new stars resting inside the area known as the “Trapezium” . That region is in the center of the cloud and is definitive by its brightness. Remember that the light left the nebula almost 1,300 years ago, so as usual you are seeing the object as it looked 1,300 years ago.
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/
Goodbye Winter and hello Spring, let’s all Keep Looking Up!
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Jupiter is dominates the western evening sky but after the first week is joined by the planet closest to the Sun that being Mercury. Mercury’s appearance begins around March 8 and by mid month it passes within 2 degrees of Jupiter. Jupiter however will continue to set a little earlier each day while Mercury will continue it climb until on Sunday March 22nd it lies 19 degrees above the horizon. Mercury will become the brightest object in the western sky. This is a great chance to see the innermost planet so be sure not to miss it.
Now here is the cool part. On the night of March 17th while you are viewing Mercury, NASA’s probe known as Messenger will be entering orbit around the nearest planet. The name of the probe is called Messenger and will orbit Mercury for over a year. I will monitor its progress but for those that would like to hear more about this probe, please go to www.nasa.gov and search for “Messenger”.
Pushing on past Jupiter we come to Saturn. In March it begins its climb just after sunset, rising in the eastern sky. Saturn will be accompanied by two stars, Spica and Arcturus which are two very prominent stars in the northern hemisphere. Spica is 10 degrees below the planet while Arcturus is 30 degrees to the planet’s left. More about these stars later this next month.
Two more planets appear jus before dawn. One of course is Venus which we can never miss but late in March it will be accompanied by Neptune which rests just above it.
You will definitely need a telescope or steady binoculars to view Neptune’s bluish grey color.
Don’t forget to train your telescope this month at the constellation Orion. It is well placed for observing and you should spend some time observing the nebula which is always visible. Remember that the light that shows off the gas that you see is generated by the new stars resting inside the area known as the “Trapezium” . That region is in the center of the cloud and is definitive by its brightness. Remember that the light left the nebula almost 1,300 years ago, so as usual you are seeing the object as it looked 1,300 years ago.
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/
Goodbye Winter and hello Spring, let’s all Keep Looking Up!
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