March Podcast: The Winter Triangle

Try the illustrated model of this podcast on Sky & Telescope’s YouTube channel!

March is the month we affiliate with two celestial happenings. One is the change to sunlight time — at the very least in the USA, Canada, and far of Europe. The second is the equinox, which this yr happens on March twentieth at 10:46 a.m. Jap Time. However this specific March will even be remembered for the overall lunar eclipse that happens (or occurred) on March third.

Do you know in regards to the “once-in-a-lifetime planet parade/alignment” that occurred on February twenty eighth? We at Sky & Telescope don’t know who makes these items up. Why that date? Nobody is aware of! However it’s true that in late February a lot of the planets have been positioned within the night sky. The difficulty is that Mercury, Venus, and Saturn have been all irritating low within the west. In the meantime, Uranus and Neptune — additionally a part of the ubiquitously promoted alignment — weren’t seen besides with optical assist, and Neptune was fairly hopelessly misplaced from view low within the west.

So right here’s what you’ll be able to actually anticipate this month. Jupiter continues its dominance within the night sky. Search for it very excessive up, nearly overhead, at dusk. Then watch a planetary transition happen very low within the west. You’ll want a transparent view in that route, and also you’ll wish to be wanting 30 to 45 minutes after sundown.

You’ll almost certainly spot very vibrant Venus, which is rising from the twilight glare. Saturn is lurking close by. It begins the month practically one fist to the higher left of Venus. However Saturn is shining simply 1% as vibrant as Venus, so it’ll be difficult to identify. Your greatest likelihood would possibly come on March seventh and eighth, when the 2 will probably be simply 1° aside. After that, Saturn quickly sinks from view and Venus climbs a little bit larger. Mercury and Mars are each close to the Solar within the sky proper now, hopelessly misplaced in its glare.

In the meantime, the night sky is actually on hearth with vibrant stars accompanying Jupiter. Because the twilight fades, flip left, away from the sundown level, till you’re wanting south. There within the deepening blue, you’ll discover the primary true star of the night: good Sirius. To its higher proper is Orion, the mighty Hunter. Its two brightest stars are white Rigel, which marks his lower-right foot, and orange-red Betelgeuse, his upper-left armpit.

Look to the left of Betelgeuse for Procyon, the alpha star of Canis Minor. This constellation is likely to be small, however Procyon itself ranks because the eighth brightest star within the nighttime sky. The stellar trio of Procyon, Betelgeuse, and Sirius kind an enormous, equilateral triangle within the sky — generally known as the Winter Triangle to skywatchers.

That is only a pattern of the enjoyable and academic guided exploration of the evening sky that awaits you with this month’s Sky Tour Astronomy Podcast. Click on on the hyperlink above to hear!

Learn the complete podcast transcript.