Astronomy Notes for March and April 2008

by Art Paque & Woody Hagge

March has some wonderful things in store for us, and not just the arrival of Spring. We will have views of all five of the “naked eye” planets and an unusual daytime occultation of Venus on the fifth.

April will treat us to lots of stellar conjunctions including a partial occultation of the Pleiades on the eighth.

MARCH

Evening and Morning Planets:

Dusk:

Mars (0.4) high in south southeast, sets in northwest about 3 a.m.
Saturn (0.3) low in east southeast after dark, setting in the west before dawn

Dawn:

Mercury (0.0) very low in east southeast predawn
Venus (-3.8) very low in east southeast just before sunrise
Jupiter (-2.0) rises about 3 hours before sunrise in east southeast

Mean temperature rises to 30˚ F

Moon transits (azimuth of 180˚) at 7 a.m. and reaches only 18˚ altitude
Sun transits (local noon) at 12:04 p.m. reaching 40˚ altitude
Venus (-3.9) and Mercury (0.1) 2˚ apart, extremely low in east southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.

Venus (-3.9) and Mercury (0.1) 2˚ apart, extremely low in east southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.

Mercury, Venus, Moon, and Jupiter (-2.0) in a line very low in southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.
Venus (-3.9) and Mercury (0.1) 2˚ apart, extremely low in east southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.

Mean temperature rises to 31˚ F

Mercury, Venus, Moon, and Jupiter (-2.0) in a line very low in Southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.
Venus (-3.9) and Mercury (0.1) 2˚ apart, extremely low in East Southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.

11h 26m of daylight (6:20 a.m. – 5:47 p.m.) 12h 34m of darkness

Daytime Lunar Occultation of Venus - disappearance at 3:26 p.m. at upper right of the Moon. Moon sets before Venus reappears at 4:19 p.m. Use binoculars. USE EXTREME CAUTION! DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN !!!
Mercury, Venus, Moon, and Jupiter (-2.0) in a line very low in Southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.
Venus, Mercury, and Moon very close together, watch 5:30 – 6:30 a.m., extremely low in east southeast
Venus (-3.9) and Mercury (0.1) 2˚ apart, extremely low in East Southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.

Venus (-3.9) and Mercury (0.1) 2˚ apart, extremely low in east southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.

New Moon

Mean temperature rises to 32˚ F

Venus (-3.9) and Mercury (0.1) 2˚ apart, extremely low in east southeast, 5:30 – 6:30 a.m.

Daylight Saving Time begins

Sun rises and sets 5˚ South of east/west at 7:14 a.m. and 6:52 p.m.

Mean temperature rises to 33˚ F

Mean temperature rises to 34˚ F

Pleiades 3˚ below the Moon, darkness until 11:30 p.m.

Moon transits at 6:28 p.m. and reaches 74˚ altitude

First Quarter Moon

Moon rises at
11:12 a.m., 50˚ azimuth, and sets at 2:47 a.m., 310˚ azimuth
Sun transits at 1:01 p.m. reaching 45˚ altitude
Mars (0.5) 1˚ from Moon, 6:30 p.m. until 2 a.m.

11h 56m of daylight (7:03 a.m. – 6:59 p.m.) 12h 04m of darkness

Mean temperature rises to 35˚ F

Daylight hours are greater than darkness hours, 12h 02m, for the first time since last September

Mean temperature rises to 36˚ F

Sun rises and sets in th east/west at 6:58 a.m. and 7:02 p.m.
Saturn (0.3) 5˚ and Regulus (1.3) 1˚ away from Moon, darkness until Moon set at 4:56 a.m.

Vernal Equinox 12:48 a.m. – Spring is finally here!

Full Moon - known as the Full Crow Moon

Mean temperature rises to 37˚ F

Spica (1.0) 4˚ from Moon after Moon rise at 7:26 p.m.

Mean temperature rises to 38˚ F

Venus and Mercury 1˚ apart extremely low in the east southeast, look near 5:30 a.m.

12h 25m of daylight (06:45 a.m. – 7:11 p.m.) 11h 35m of darkness

Moon rises at 12:25 a.m., 130˚ azimuth, and sets at 8:48 a.m., 231˚ azimuth

Sun transits at 12:57 p.m. reaching 50˚ altitude

Mean temperature rises to 39˚ F

Sun rises and sets 5˚ North of east/west at 06:42 a.m. and 7:13 p.m.
Antares (1.0) 1˚ from Moon, 12:01 until 5:30 a.m.

Last Quarter Moon

Mean temperature rises to 40˚ F

Jupiter 4˚ from Moon before sunrise at 5:36 a.m.

April

Evening and Morning Planets:

Dusk:

Mercury (-1.8) very low in westnorthwest at the end of month
Mars (1.0) high in westsouthwest after sundown, setting in the northwest after 1 a.m.
Saturn (0.4) high in south after dark, sets in the westnorthwest about 3:30 a.m.

Dawn:

Jupiter (-2.2) rises in eastsoutheast about 1:30 a.m., low in southeast by dawn

Mean temperature rises to 41˚ F

Mercury, Venus, and Moon extremely low in east, look close to 5:25 a.m.

12h 57m of daylight (06:26 – 7:23 p.m.) 11h 03m of darkness

New Moon

Mean temperature rises to 42˚ F

Sun rises and sets 10˚ north of east/west at 6:24 a.m. and 7:23 p.m.

Mean temperature rises to 43˚ F

Sun transits at 12:54 p.m. reaching 55˚ altitude
Partial lunar occultation of the Pleiades, watch 7 - 10 p.m.

Mean temperature rises to 44˚ F

Moon 1˚ from Mars 7 p.m., Castor (1.6) and Pollux (1.2) 8˚ above Moon. By 1 a.m. Mars will be almost touching the Moon.

First Quarter Moon

Pollux 4˚ from Moon 7 p.m.

Mean temperature rises to 45˚ F

Regulus (1.3) 3.5˚ and Saturn (0.5) 5˚ from Moon 11 p.m.

13h 26m of daylight (06:09 – 7:35 p.m.) 10h 34m of darkness

Sun rises and sets 15˚ north of east/west at 6:09 a.m. and 7:35 p.m.
Regulus (1.3) 5˚ and Saturn (0.5) 4˚ from Moon 7 p.m.

Mean temperature rises to 46˚ F

Spica (1.0) 3˚ from Moon, 8 p.m. until 4:30 a.m.

Full Moon - known as Full Pink Moon

Mean temperature rises to 47˚ F

Lyrid meteor shower peaks, watch well up in the east after 11 p.m. The nearly full Moon to the south will spoil viewing. Usually 10/20 per hour.

Mean temperature rises to 48˚ F

Sun transits at 12:50 p.m. reaching 60˚ altitudeAntares (1.0) 2˚ from Moon before sunrise at 4:56 a.m.

13h 53m of daylight (05:54 a.m. – 7:47 p.m.) 10h 07m of darkness

Sun rises and sets 20˚ North of East/West at 05:52 a.m. and 7:48 p.m.

Mean temperature rises to 49˚ F

Moon 3˚ from Jupiter (-2.3) before sunrise at 4:50 a.m.

Last Quarter Moon 09:12 a.m.;

Mean temperature rises to 50˚ F

Pollux 4˚ from Mars 5 p.m.