Comet Pons-Brookes
This month we will be visited by a periodic comet that orbits the sun every 71 years. This lump of ice and dust is bigger than mount Everest and over 10 miles across. Below is a diagram that shows its position in the sky over February and in to April. As the Earth swings around the Sun we will pass through its path, which will litter the sky with small dust- like particles we see as meteor showers from late November. The tail may or may not be visible to the naked eye but with binoculars and a clear night sky you may get lucky. (Looking North-West early this month, low in the sky)
For the latest information and position click the link below.
Just after the New Moon on 10th March, Jupiter climbs close to the Moon (8pm 13th March)
Spring Equinox 20th March
On the 20th March the Earth will be ‘bolt upright’ in our orbit around the Sun - not tilted away or towards the Sun. This happens twice a year (March and Spetember). In previous articles you will remember that the tilt of our planet as opposed to the distance away from the Sun gives rise to warmer weather for us.
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
Full Moon 25th March (The Moon’s reflective light will be dimmed by the Earth’s shadow in a penumbral eclipse early in the day between 5 and 9 am). Hopefully this diagram will help explain how the ‘eclipse’ will only dim the light from the moon rather than block it out totally.
Looking North from Embsay ( 9pm 10th March)
Jupiter is low in the West and the very bright star Vega just sits above the horizon due North. The familiar ‘W’ shape of Cassiopeia on is on its side (now looking like an E).
Looking South from Embsay ( 9pm 10th March)
Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is low due South (See last month’s article about this special star). The twins, Castor and Pollux, are sitting half way up the sky due South and form the constellation called Gemini. This constellation was also immortalised by the Romans in memory of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.( For the Greeks the twins are known as Castor and Polydeuces). In Greek legend, Castor was mortal and Polydeuces immortal and when Castor was killed Polydeuses refused to accept his immortality unless Castor could share it. Zeus allowed the two to alternate between the realms of the gods and underworld.
I hope you have enjoyed this article despite the clear skies being so infrequent over the past weeks.
Clear Skies,
Milan Davidovic
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