The Sky This Week, 2014 March 25 - April 1 In like a lamb, out like a lion?

The Moon begins the week greeting early risers who have a view to the
southeastern horizon, where her slender crescent may be found during
morning twilight. The second New Moon of March occurs on the 30th at
2:45 pm Eastern Daylight Time. Look for Luna just three degrees above
brilliant Venus before sunrise on the 27th. Try your hand at spotting
the very young crescent Moon in the evening sky just after sunset on
the 31st. She should be much easier to find at dusk on the following
night.

This is the second week of the March observing campaign for the
citizen-science "Globe At Night" observing program. Hopefully we'll
have a few more clear nights before the Moon returns to brighten the
evening sky and wash out the view of the sky's fainter stars. We're
still observing the constellation of Orion, which is now prominently
placed in the southwestern sky at the end of evening twilight. This
will be the last month to secure good observations of this
recognizable star pattern; starting in April our attention will shift
to the somewhat less prominent constellation of Leo, the Lion. Even
from here at the Naval Observatory I try to grab quick observations to
contribute on nights when I'm observing, and it takes just a few
minutes' extra time.

The old saying goes: "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a
lamb." This year I think that this may be reversed as it is snowing
outside my window as I write this, but it is a legend that's borne out
among the stars. As March opens the stars of the constellation Leo
become prominent in the east as night falls, and by the end of the
month they are on the meridian at midnight. By the month's end the
stars of Aries are settling into the twilight glow in the west. Look
about 10 degrees to the right of the crescent Moon at the end of
evening twilight on April 1st and you'll see Hamal, the Ram's
brightest star, preparing to set. Hopefully as April dawns the weather
will figure out which season it's supposed to be. I enjoy the snow,
but not after my daffodils have bloomed!

The evening hours just after twilight are still dominated by the
bright glow of Jupiter. His perch high on the ecliptic plane ensures
that he will command your attention for several more weeks. The giant
planet has now moved well past opposition, and even though he's lost a
bit of his luster he's still the brightest object in this part of the
sky. I've spent many hours observing the giant planet this year, and
almost every one of them has been worth the effort. No other place in
the solar system shows such rapid changes as the cloud belts in his
turbulent atmosphere and the constantly shifting configurations of his
four large Galilean moons. His most famous feature, the Great Red
Spot, has begun to become more prominent compared to the past several
apparitions, adding an interesting splash of color to the earthier
tones of his darker cloud belts and bright zones. You'll have a great
opportunity to spot this distant planetary storm system on the evening
of the 29th, when the spot transits Jupiter's face between 8:00 pm and
10:00 pm EDT.

Mars is now becoming quite prominent in the southeastern sky. By 10:30
he's well up and clear of the horizon haze, and his ruddy complexion
makes him quite easy to find. He's located just to the north of the
bright blue star Spica, and the contrast between the two objects is
quite remarkable. I had my first good look at the red planet with the
Observatory's 12-inch telescope recently, and tantalizing bits of
detail could be seen on his distant dusty surface. Mars will reach
opposition in two weeks, kicking off a feverish time for Mars
observers around the globe.

Saturn comes into view at around midnight, following Mars into the
southeastern sky. Unless you're a night owl the best time to look at
the ringed planet is still before dawn, when you'll find him near the
meridian in the south. Saturn will be a late spring and summer treat
for planet watchers, giving us something fascinating to look at once
Mars begins to recede from Earth in earnest.

Venus continues to wallow in the pre-dawn twilight. Even though she is
near her greatest elongation from the Sun, her orbital plane makes a
shallow angle with the northern hemisphere horizon which keeps her
close to the southeastern skyline. Get used to her in this position;
she'll be in more or less the same location for most of the rest of
the year.


--
President of The United States
Guy Ralph Perea Sr President of The United States
Weatherdata Weatherdata http://groups.google.com/group/weatherdata1046am0426
USFMSC
http://www.cityfreq.com/ca/avalon/
QUALIFY QICP
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/wxpage.cgi?call=EW4078
OCCUPS
http://www.occupationalinfo.org/02/025062010.html
NAS BLYND
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/nas-blynd
http://lnk.ms/8d5gl aol
http://groups.google.com/group/united-states-of-american
http://twitter.com/ptusss Federal Communication Commission
http://columbiabroadcast.spaces.live.com/ Ambassador Chevy Chase;
Kevin Corcran; Jack Nickolas; Cher; Shirley Temple
Black; Liza Minnille; Ansari; Ernest Tascoe; Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
Agent Jodie Foster; Department of Veterans Affairs Director George H.W. Bush
Title 22 USCS section 1928 (b) The e-mail
transmission may contain legally privileged information that
is intended only for the individual or entity recipient, you are hereby,
notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or reliance upon the
contents of this E-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
E-mail transmission in error, please reply to the sender, so arrangements
can be made for proper delivery. Title 42
USCS section 192 etseq Margie Paxton Chief of Childrens Bureau
Director of The United States Department of Human Services; Defendant
Article IV General Provisions Section 2
(Supreme Law of The Land) The Constitution of The United States "Any thing
in The Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary Notwithstanding"
Contrary to Law (of an act or omission) illegal; https://twitter.com/ptusss