Mon Mar 3, 2025 LEO’S RETURN
March, it’s said, comes in like a lion. This is meant to refer to the changeable weather of the new month, as cold winter air meets the warm breezes of spring. But there’s also an astronomical connection. Look south this evening and there you will find the bright stars of winter, in constellations such as Orion the Hunter, Taurus the Bull, the Big and Little Dogs, Auriga the Charioteer, and the Gemini, all marked by bright stars. Now look toward the east. Not much there. But toward the eastern horizon, you'll find another star called Regulus, and it represents the heart of the constellation Leo the Lion. Leo is the first of our springtime constellations. The Lion always comes into our eastern evening sky when March begins.
Tue Mar 4, 2025 NAME THAT CONSTELLATION – MARCH
Can you identify the thirty-ninth largest constellation? It is bordered on the north by Triangulum and Perseus, on the south by Pisces, Cetus the Whale and Taurus, on the west by Pisces again, and on the east by Taurus again. Three middling-bright stars – Hamal, Sheratan and Mesarthim, form its head, however the rest of this constellation is in one of the darkest regions of the night sky, and there are no famous nebulas or star clusters within its borders. But a handful of its stars are known to have planets orbiting them. In mythology this animal represents the golden fleece, sought by Jason and his Argonauts. Tonight the crescent moon can be found within its borders. Can you name this, the first constellation of the Zodiac? The answer is Aries the Ram, in the southwestern sky after sunset.
Wed Mar 5, 2025 PLANETARIUM SHOW: DAUGHTER OF THE STARS
This weekend, Indian River State College’s Hallstrom Planetarium will present, “Daughter of the Stars,” stories about the stars as told by Native American Indians. Many constellations in the current evening sky were featured in these tales. Orion the Hunter was called Long Sash by the Tewa Pueblo Indians in the American southwest. And Ursa Major, the great bear of Greek myth, was also seen as a bear – Neagwaheh, by the Iroquois. Shows will be on Friday night and Saturday afternoon – call 772 462 4750 for tickets. And if skies are clear that night, the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society will let folks look through their telescopes to see the moon as well as the planets Venus, Jupiter and Mars!
Thu Mar 6, 2025 MOON AND JUPITER TOGETHER
You can find the first quarter moon this evening high in the south after sunset. Just below and slightly to the west of it there is a bright, star-like object – the planet Jupiter. Both are within the borders of the constellation Taurus the Bull, and on the other side of Jupiter you’ll find the bullseye, the star Aldebaran. Conjunctions like this are fairly common: once a month, the moon in its orbit of the earth makes a complete circuit of the sky. So the moon and Jupiter will appear together again next month, on April 2nd. But even though it’s not rare, when you see the moon next to a bright planet like Jupiter, it’s always very pretty! The closeness of the two is an illusion of course: Jupiter is hundreds of millions of miles farther out, and Aldebaran is almost 400,000 trillion miles away!
Fri Mar 7,2025 PLANETARIUM SHOW: DAUGHTER OF THE STARS
This weekend, Indian River State College’s Hallstrom Planetarium will present, “Daughter of the Stars,” stories about the stars as told by Native American Indians. Many constellations in the current evening sky were featured in these tales. Orion the Hunter was called Long Sash by the Tewa Pueblo Indians in the American southwest. And Ursa Major, the great bear of Greek myth, was also seen as a bear – Neagwaheh, by the Iroquois. Shows will be on Friday night – that’s tonight - and Saturday afternoon – call 772 462 4750 for tickets. And if skies are clear this evening, the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society will let folks look through their telescopes to see the moon as well as the planets Venus, Jupiter and Mars!
