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Skywatch for the week of February 20, 2023

Skywatch Monday 2-20-2023.mp3

Mon Feb 20, 2023 JOCELYN FINDS A RADIO STAR

In 1967, Jocelyn Bell, then a graduate student at England’s Cambridge University, made an incredible discovery: while going over the data from a radio telescope she’d help build, Bell found a rapidly recurring signal, which spiked every 1.3 seconds. Bell had found the very first pulsar, although the source of the signals was not known at the time (Bell and her advisor dubbed them “L.G.M.”s, light-heartedly suggesting they could be signals from an alien civilization consisting of “Little Green Men.”) Pulsars are the rapidly spinning cores of exploded stars. Her discovery was announced on February 24, 1968 and her advisor was soon awarded a Nobel prize (Wait, what?) But in 2018 Bell finally received her Nobel, in the category of Fundamental Physics.

Skywatch Tuesday 2-21-2023.mp3

Tue Feb 21, 2023 SPACE SONGS IN THE PLANETARIUM

This weekend, I and a few other folks will be singing space songs at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce. I’ll point out some of this weekend’s stars in the Hallstrom Planetarium’s “sky,” and then we’re going to sing some great songs like, “Moon Rovers,” “There Are Plenty of Stars,” the “Constellation Barcarolle,” and the always popular, “Black Hole Hokey Pokey.” And just so we don’t have all the fun, you’ll be singing too, as we project the words up on the planetarium dome. Shows are Friday at 7 or 8:30 PM, and on Saturday afternoon at 1 or 2:30. If skies are clear on Friday night, the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society will be on hand to provide guided views of outer space through their telescopes. For tickets call the IRSC box office at 772)462-4750.

Skywatch Wednesday 2-22-2023.mp3

Wed Feb 22, 2023 WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY

George Washington was born on February 11th in 1731. He was also born over a year later, on February 22nd, 1732. If there were a calendar over Washington’s cradle it would have said the date was February 11th, 1731. But that was the old Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. In 1582, Pope Gregory replaced it with the Gregorian calendar, because after fifteen hundred years of reckoning time, the Julian calendar had slipped by ten days. But the English colony of Virginia was Protestant, and they didn’t change over until 1752, when everything was off by eleven days. So they cut those days out of the calendar and also changed the new year’s beginning from March 25th to January 1st, thus shifting Washington’s birthday to February 22nd, which was fine with him. And now, Congress says it’s the third Monday in February. OK.

Skywatch Thursday 2-23-2023.mp3

Thu Feb 23, 2023 NAME THAT CONSTELLATION – FEBRUARY

Can you identify the 14th largest constellation? It is bordered on the north by Pegasus, Andromeda, Triangulum and Aries; on the south by Aquarius the Water Carrier and Cetus the Whale; on the west by Pegasus and Aquarius again; and on the east by Triangulum, Aries and Cetus again. There are no bright stars in it, but tonight the waxing crescent moon and the planets Venus and Jupiter appear close together within its borders. This mythological figure is said to represent the goddess Venus and her son Cupid, who transformed themselves in order to swim away from a dangerous dragon. Can you name this star figure, the twelfth constellation of the zodiac? And of course the answer is Pisces, the Fish, well-placed in the southwestern sky after sunset.

Skywatch Friday 2-24-2023.mp3

Fri Feb 24, 2023 SPACE SONGS IN THE PLANETARIUM

Tonight and tomorrow, we’re going to sing “Space Songs” at Indian River State College’s Hallstrom Planetarium. This show is a star talk, a live concert and a little karaoke all mixed together. You’ll hear such classics as, “Universe Calling,” “Moon Rovers,” “There Are Plenty of Stars,” and the ever-popular, “Black Hole Hokey Pokey.” And just so our singing instructors don’t have all the fun, the audience will be invited to sing too, as we project the words on the planetarium dome. Shows are tonight at 7 or 8:30 PM, and on Saturday afternoon at 1 or 2:30. If skies are clear tonight, the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society will be on hand to provide guided views of outer space through their telescopes. For tickets call the IRSC box office at 772)462-4750.