Spring Equinox Astronomy, By Comet Hunter

Here is a little basic astronomy about our own star and the planet on which we live.

Today, March 21, 2007, is the spring equinox. What does that mean? Just that the sun rises directly in the east, and sets directly in the west today; (this happens on the day of the fall equinox too.)

"When it is darkest, men see the stars."

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Those are the only two days each year that the sun rises exactly due east, and sets exactly due west. On the winter solstice, around December 22nd, the sun is at it's lowest point in the sky. Each day thereafter, it's path is a little higher, until it reaches it's highest point on June 21st, the summer solstice. Therefore, each day after the spring equinox is a little longer than the day before it, until the longest day, as well as the shortest night, occur on the summer solstice.

The sun's path is also directly over the equator on the day of the spring equinox. The hours of day and night are said to be equal, exactly 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night on the equinox, but this isn't precisely correct. There are actually 14 minutes more of daylight than night on the spring equinox. Close enough, eh?

What causes all this? Simply the tilt of the earth as it spins on it's axis and rotates around the sun. Imagine a rod going straight through our planet, one end coming out the north pole, the other at the south pole. The earth spins around this rod, like a top, and tilts, or wobbles, as it spins. If you are in the northern hemisphere, your part of the earth is beginning it's yearly tilt toward the sun, bringing us closer to the sun each day, meaning more warmth, more sunshine, more light. Trees will now start to break buds, grass will grow and become green again, the air temperature rises. It is time for the rebirth of all things in nature.

Happy time for observational astronomy geeks! We can now go outside at night to observe the wonders of the night sky in comfort. Time to put away the long underwear, heavy coats, hand warmers, foot warmers, gloves and boots.

Saturn is still up most of the evening. Look for a very bright star at the front end of Leo's mane, that

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."

By Helen Keller

Jupiter is an early morning object, look for the brightest "star" in the sky between the teapot of Sagittarius and the sickle of Scorpius.

Moon: watch the moon go through it's phases this month. It is just a few days past new this evening, look for it's thin crescent in the west early this evening. Watch the crescent grow bigger each night until it becomes full on the second of April.

note: The planets and moon can always be found on the line in the sky called the ecliptic, which is a line running through the constellations of the Zodiac. These sites may be helpful in finding the ecliptic/zodiac constellations:

"It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened."

By Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

April: 21-22 Lyrid meteor shower peaks on the night of April 21-22. around 2:30 am til dawn. From very dark skies, 20 meteors per hour are visible during the peak. Meteors from this shower should be visible from April 15 through April 25. Look at the area of sky near the constellation Lyra, which rises in the east.

Comets: Comet Petriew P-2001P2 and Comet Enke 2P-enke are both visible during this month. Look for them in the low western sky, near Venus, which is the brightest thing in the sky. Both are fairly dim. Binoculars will help make them easier to see.

Comet Hunter is an avid astronomer who has courageously coped with MCS and chemical injury for many years.