This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2022 February 26 – March 5
~by Curt Nason
Do you hear the wind? According to the weather proverb, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, referring to roaring winds early in the month and calm days leading into April. As twilight ends this evening, look off to the east for a group of stars forming a sickle and leading a large triangle of stars. This combination is the constellation of Leo the Lion entering the sky as it did a few centuries ago, when the saying supposedly originated.
Now look to the west for a bent line of three stars west of the Pleiades star cluster. That is Aries the Ram, which could still be a lamb at heart. By the end of the month the annual march of constellations has Aries about to leave the sky as twilight ends. Our fickle weather won’t always follow the proverb but the constellations will continue to play it out for several generations to come.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:03 am and sunset will occur at 6:01 pm, giving 10 hours, 58 minutes of daylight (7:07 am and 6:07 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:50 am and set at 6:11 pm, giving 11 hours, 21 minutes of daylight (6:55 am and 6:16 pm in Saint John).
The Moon forms a trio with Venus and Mars on Sunday morning, Mercury and Saturn on Monday, and it is new on Wednesday. Jupiter is too close to the Sun for viewing, reaching conjunction next Saturday. Venus and Mars are within the same binocular view and they will remain that close for a month. Over midweek Mercury slides closely below Saturn but it will be a challenge to see them with binoculars in bright twilight, rising 40 minutes before the Sun. Until midweek rural stargazers have the opportunity to see the subtle glow of the zodiacal light in the west about 45-90 minutes after sunset.
On Sunday evening at 8 pm, tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show via the Facebook page or YouTube channel of Astronomy by the Bay.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason.