This week in the sky we will have the Moon at its first quarter phase which will showcase some amazing lunar features on the terminator. As the week progresses the Moon will progress to its full phase by Sunday. I have had the opportunity to get outside and see Mars in the northern parts of Taurus and about 7° away from a similar looking Aldebaran, the angry red eye of the bull. Venus will reach superior conjunction, far from the Earth, on March 26 and will progress towards our evening skies in the following months.
It is a good time to get outside and view some of the winter Messier objects before they drop below the horizon at sunset. Orion still rules the southwestern sky but not for long. The Orion nebula is still a very attractive sight in any set of binoculars or a telescope. If you want to catch M79, the globular cluster in the south edge of Lepus you're going to watch to do it soon. The same would apply to objects in Canis Major and Puppis.
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| Orion Nebula (Image Credit: George Cavanaugh: https://www.imagingstarlight.ca/) |
With the winter of 2021 making its hasty retreat the spring constellations are starting to appear. The Beehive Cluster in Cancer was a beautiful sight in my telescope this past weekend. I forgot how bright it was! Just aim your telescope or binoculars to the northwest of Delta Cancri, a magnitude 3.94 star barely visible in urban light pollution. Following the crab is Leo the lion with its bright stars showcased in the southeast sky. I've tried several times to capture the galaxies found within but have had no luck. I will need to get out to a darker site to pull these faint objects in. This brings me to Virgo, the constellation following the lion. Virgo and neighbouring Coma Berenices contain the Virgo Cluster which has 16 Messier members. I have yet to spend time with my telescope in this area but hope to in April.
If you are looking to get involved in a hobby that you can safely do in your backyard during a pandemic please consider astronomy. It is a great pastime that will awaken a sense of wonder each and every night. If you'd like to join a society of amateur and professional astronomers who are waiting to help you check out the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada: https://www.rasc.ca/join
Keep looking up at the night sky!
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