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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the week ending Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Here is what’s happening in the skies of Southern California:
Winter gives way to spring in the northern hemisphere at 9:57 a.m., PDT on Thursday, March 20. This marks the moment when the center of the sun crosses the celestial equator, moving from south to north. Day and night are of approximately equal length on this date. Spring will end with the start of summer on June 21.
The bright yellow planet Jupiter is in Gemini the Twins. It appears nearly overhead as darkness falls, and it can be seen until it sets in the west-northwest at 2:45 a.m. Ordinary binoculars can be used to see Jupiter’s four largest moons, and a telescope is needed to see the planet’s cloud patterns, the dark belts and bright zones. Jupiter’s giant oval storm, the Great Red Spot, is visible from the west coast at 9:00 p.m. on the 21st, 24th, and 26th.
The planet Mars, near the bright star Spica in Virgo the Maiden is conspicuous as a bright orange “star” in the southeast by 11:00 p.m. Mars can best be observed through a telescope between midnight and 4:00 a.m., and is highest in the south when it transits at 2:30 a.m. This week, west coast observers will be able to see Sinus Meridiani, a dark marking that looks a little like a clenched fist at the end of another marking, narrow and arm-like, called Sinus Sabaeus. The Opportunity Rover is exploring the western edge of Sinus Meridiani.
The planet Saturn appears like a golden star in Libra the Scales, and trails after Mars by a couple of hours. It reaches its highest point in the south at 4:15 a.m. A telescope must be used to see the planet’s beautiful rings.
The brightest planet, Venus, blazes in the east-southeast at the start of dawn. A telescope will show the phase of Venus change from crescent to half-illuminated on the 24th.
The moon rises after midnight on Friday morning and at 3:50 a.m. on the 26th. Its phase is waning gibbous until the 23rd, when it is last quarter. The phase is waning crescent on the following mornings. The moon appears close to Saturn on the mornings of the 20th and 21st.
Free views of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for our schedule. The next public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, April 5.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.