Is anyone interested in the star lore of the first people in our hemisphere? There are some wonderful tales related to astronomy across all the cultures of the world. Access to internet sites has provided some beautiful interpretations of star groups and their stories. When the conditions are not suited to outdoor sky-watching you might enjoy doing some internet sky pictures versions that can be found. http://www.native-languages.org/legends-star.htm is one good site I have found in case you want a starting point.
It has been a while since we tried the clock-face location of the visible planets. I hope you have taken advantage of clear nights to walk out and look up and scribe the arc of Mars near the zenith and across towards the west to see Venus and Jupiter. The angle of the ecliptic is steep during this time of the year. If we let our imagination take us up high above the solar system we can see that the inner planets are arranged with Mercury near 6 o’clock, Venus near 2 o’clock. Earth nearing 9 o’clock, Mars near 11 o’clock, and Jupiter near 2 o’clock as well, just much farther out. This is why they are appearing to be closer each night.
Those sky watchers I know are increasingly dismayed at the multiplication of satellites, especially the Starlink communication satellites. Those are enough of an issue already to disrupt scientific endeavors, but Amazon is planning to begin launching prototypes of their Project Kuiper, planning over 3,000 satellites, and another company is planning 600 to begin this year, OneWeb, the problems will only increase. How much is too much? We may lose all visual astronomy soon. The March issue of Astronomy.com magazine shares a shocking photo of the passing satellites taken from Creative Commons. I am all for progress but must admit I prefer it not interfere with what I enjoy; I must be too human.
Tuesday, March 7 from 5-6 p.m. Stargazer will be providing a hands-on Mars mission connection for young teens and upper elementary students at the San Benito Public Library. On Saturday, the South Texas Astronomical Society will be sharing an extended version at the Southmost Branch Library in Brownsville from 2-4 p.m. for the same age bracket. There is no fee for these and parents are welcome to join in the fun, especially if you have younger children.
Leo the Lion has been creeping ever higher in the eastern sky after full dark. Its brightest star, Regulus rests on the ecliptic as you face south. Look for a blue-white large star with a backward-facing question mark rising above it and a triangle trailing behind Regulus just above the ecliptic. The tail star is called Denebola. A ruddy star appears in the crescent just above Regulus. Blue-white stars are hot young stars, fiercely using their elements to emit the light we enjoy. Cooler stars glow red. Star colors are important as they reveal the approximate age of the star and its temperature. Our star appears yellow. Just as the gas flame on your stove is hottest in the blue part and cooler in the red part, all stars are all hot unless it is a dead one.
Just beneath the triangle are two Messier Objects. M 65 and M66. https://www.messier-objects.com/leo-triplet/ The images of these galaxies are lovely as well as intriguing. I included a link for you to check them out yourself. The creations in the universe are breath-taking and awe-inspiring. Of course to see them one needs a decent telescope, but that can be remedied by visiting the Resaca de la Palma Christine Torres Observatory on the last Friday of each month or joining in the Astronomy Night the STARS offer.
Until next time, KLU.
