The Sky This Week, 2014 April 22 - 29 Celebrate International Dark Sky Week!

The Moon wanes through her crescent phases in the morning sky this
week, wending her way through the rising autumnal constellations. New
Moon occurs on the 29th at 2:14 am Eastern Daylight Time. You will
find Luna in the company of bright Venus in the morning twilight of
the 25th and 26th.

This week we celebrate International Dark Sky Week, dedicated to
raising awareness of the importance and benefits of a dark nighttime
environment. Begun in 2003 by a high-school student named Jennifer
Barlow, it is now observed worldwide by an ever-increasing number of
people and organizations. The practical benefits of better outdoor
night lighting include better quality lighting for streets and
business areas, less stray light reflecting up into the night sky, and
tangible energy savings, both in costs and non-renewable resources.
Recent studies have also shown that darker skies are beneficial to us,
improving our sleep cycles and circadian rhythms, and hundreds of
animal species benefit by reduced glare at both ground level and in
the sky. Please visit the website of the International Dark Sky
Association for more information on dark sky awareness and events
occurring this week. The U.S. Naval Observatory is proud to be a
lifetime sponsor of the IDA.

In conjunction with International Dark Sky Week, this week finds us in
the middle of the "Globe At Night" citizen-science program April
observing campaign. The absence of the Moon in the evening sky affords
a great opportunity to see just how dark your favorite observing site
is, and here is a way that you can report your findings for the
betterment of science. April is a good month to do this since it's
fully dark by 9:30 pm and the haze and humidity of summer have yet to
set in. Your objective is to locate the constellation of Leo, the
Lion, which straddles the meridian high in the south at 10:00 pm.
Count the number of stars you see in the constellation, then compare
your observations to the charts on the Globe At Night website. It only
takes a few minutes to do before turning in for the night, and each
observation helps to chart the brightness of the night sky around the
world.

Jupiter is still well-placed for observing in the western sky after
sunset. He pops into view almost immediately after the Sun goes down
and offers a fine telescopic target even in bright twilight. As
darkness settles the giant planet dips lower toward the west,
eventually setting just after 1:00 am. His apparent disc is now only
about 2/3rds the size it was back at opposition in January, but a
night with steady air should still reveal the planet's dark equatorial
cloud belts and four bright Galilean moons.

Mars As evening twilight ends ruddy Mars is well up in the
southeastern sky. The red planet glows like a distant coal in the
stars of Virgo, and contrasts nicely with the blue tint of the bright
star Spica 11 degrees to the southeast. You'll also probably notice
that Mars is steadily closing in in on the second-magnitude star
Porrima. By the end of the week the two objects will be about a degree
and a half apart. Through the telescope Mars is putting his best face
forward for North American observers; his most prominent dark albedo
feature, the "Syrtis Major", will face our Earthbound telescopes
throughout the week.

Saturn follows Mars into the sky in the later stages of the evening.
By midnight he's well up in the southeast as he slowly wends his way
westward among the stars of the obscure constellation of Libra, the
Scales. Saturn doesn't have the brazen red glimmer of Mars; he shines
with a much more subdued yellow hue. However, once you've spent some
time trying to glean detail from Mars' diminutive disc, reward
yourself with a view of the solar system's most unusual world. Saturn
will reach opposition in a few more weeks.

I was quite surprised to see Venus through my window this morning,
ducking in and out of the clouds. My view is nearly due east, and for
most of the current morning apparition the dazzling planet has been
obscured by trees and houses from my sight. The planet is hugging the
eastern horizon, but each passing day brings her a bit farther
northward. She should be there to greet me for the next several
months.

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