THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM




*207-780-4249 <207-780-4249>       www.usm.maine.edu/planet
<http://www.usm.maine.edu/planet> 70 Falmouth Street  Portland, Maine 04103
43.6667° N,                    70.2667° W Founded January 1970*

*                "Nestled in silent shadow, displaced for a moment, from
the ceaseless flow, we loiter in this subterranean hollow and, in the right
moments, Valhalla seems merely a corner away."*



*THE DAILY ASTRONOMER*

*Tuesday, April 5, 2016*



*April 2016 Night Sky Calendar  Part II*

*MONDAY, APRIL 18:    MOON 2.1 DEGREES SSW OF JUPITER  (SILVER EVENT!!)*


*The gibbous moon and giant planet together in the eastern evening sky.  A
splendid sight to behold. Moreover, these two worlds will be easy to see as
soon as dusk darkens into night.     *

*MONDAY, APRIL 18:  MERCURY AT GREATEST EASTERN ELONGATION (BRONZE EVENT!)*


*Yes, a silver and bronze event on the same night.   One can actually see
them both at the same time.    See Mercury at its greatest elongation (19.9
degrees from the Sun) in the western sky while admiring Jupiter and the
moon in the east.    This is the best time of month to observe Mercury.
(See "Planet Watch" from, um, yesterday.)  *



*MONDAY, APRIL 18:  SUN ENTERS ARIESThe Sun leaves Pisces the Fish and
enters Aries the Ram.     Though the Sun occupies Pisces on spring's first
day, the vernal equinox is still called the "First Point of Aries," as the
Sun was once in Aries when spring started.  Precessional wobbling causes
the thirteen zodiac constellations to migrate around the entire ecliptic
once every 26,000 years.  Consequently, the vernal equinox point will
eventually move through all thirteen ecliptic constellations.  The Vernal
Equinox point moved from Aries into Pisces in 68 BCE.** The ecliptic
constellations  are ARIES THE RAM, Taurus the Bull, Gemini the Twins,
Cancer the Crab, Leo the Lion, Virgo the Maiden, Libra the Scales, Scorpius
the Scorpion, Ophiuchus the Serpent Charmer, Sagittarius the Archer,
Capricornus the Seagoat,  Aquarius the Water Bearer, and Pisces the Fish.
The Sun will enter Taurus the Bull on May 13th.*




*WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20:   MARS 7.2 DEGREES WEST OF SATURN (GOLD EVENT!!!)An
opportunity to see Mars and Saturn close together!     Not only will Mars
be 3.5 times brighter than Saturn, it will also appear quite reddish, so
one should have no trouble distinguishing between these two planets!
This planetary appulse is this month's "gold event" because this is an
unfavorable year for the Lyrid Meteor Shower, which would otherwise have
been given the gold designation.    FRIDAY, APRIL 22:  FULL MOONAs it true
with the full moon in other months,  the April Full Moon has a variety of
names, many of them pertaining to the season of planting and budding
flowers.  To the Colonial Americans, it was the "Planter's Moon," the
Chinese call it "The Peony Moon."  The Cherokee people named it the "Flower
Moon."   It is the "Growing Moon" to the Celts, and was the "Seed Moon" in
Medieval England.*

*FRIDAY, APRIL 22:   *LYRID METEOR SHOW PEAKS


*We love this shower because its parent comet is C/1861 Gl Thatcher.   It
was last at perihelion in 1861 and isn't due to arrive at the next
perihelion until 2280 or thereabouts.     The Lyrid shower, so named as he
meteors appear to emanate from the constellation Lyra, are pieces of a
comet that is presently deep in the void, destined not to return for
another 165 years.    Fiery fragments of ghosts…Unfortunately, this is a
not a favorable year for the Lyrids due to the full moon's light
interference.  *













*MONDAY, APRIL 25:  MOON 4.9 DEGREES NORTH OF MARSThe waning gibbous moon
and the red planet rise together in the mid evening sky.      A bright
planet and a gibbous moon are always quite pleasing to the eye.MONDAY,
APRIL 25:  MOON 3.3 DEGREES NORTH OF SATURNThe waning gibbous moon and the
ringed planet rise together in the mid evening sky. A moderately bright
planet and a gibbous moon are always pleasing to the eye, just as the cut
and paste option is always pleasing to a lazy writer.TUESDAY, APRIL 26:
MARS 4.9 DEGREES NORTH OF ANTARESAntares, the brightest star in Scorpius
the Scorpion, is called the "rival to Mars," as it appears almost as red as
Mars.  Presently, however,  it isn't much of a rival, as Antares will
appear more than eight times dimmer than Mars.   Of course, intrinsically,
Antares is a red supergiant star that could power slam a few billion
Mars-sized spheres in one gulp.  Yet, to us, Mars appears the grander of
the two bodies,  SATURDAY, APRIL 30:  LAST QUARTER MOON*


*PLANET WATCH (Part II)*


*We almost forgot!  (Ok, we did forget!!)   We promised to list the host
constellations of the planets each month.    *

*MERCURY  (PISCES --> ARIES)*

*VENUS (PISCES)*

*MARS (SCORPIUS)*

*JUPITER  (LEO) remains a bright evening sky beacon this month.  This
behemoth world gradually grows dimmer throughout the spring and summer now
that it has passed beyond its March 8th opposition.    VERDICT:   Brilliant
still and well positioned in the eastern evening sky.    It still has
center stage for prime time viewers!    *

*SATURN (SCORPIUS), though still the dimmest of the planets until mid month
-when Mercury becomes dimmer- Saturn brightens slowly throughout the month
and rises progressively earlier as it approaches its June 3rd
opposition.    VERDICT:   Saturn rises in the mid evening and is now
moderately bright.     It is not difficult to see, even if it lacks
Jupiter's brilliance or Mars' distinctive color. *