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Celestial
Events Calendar
March, Martius, the
month of Mars, initially the first month of the year
Thursday, March 4, 2004:
7 PM CST –
Mercury is at superior conjunction. The Sun is between the Earth and Mercury.
Mercury is passing counterclockwise behind the Sun and leaving the morning sky
and passing into the evening sky ~ 127 million miles from Earth.
11 PM CST – Jupiter is at
opposition. The Earth is between Jupiter and the Sun. Jupiter rises at
sunset and sets at sunrise. Since it’s up all night this is the best time to
view it.
Friday, March 5, 2004:
7 AM CST – Martian spring equinox.
Saturday, March 6, 2004:
The Sun’s
rotational axis is inclined away from the Earth by 7 ¼ degrees from the
vertical.
5:16 PM CST
– Full Moon, Sap Moon, Crow Moon or Lent Moon
Sunday, March 7, 2004:
7 AM CST – Saturn ceases its
westward motion (retrograde) and resumes its normal
eastward motion through the stars.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004:
5 PM CST –
The Moon is at its descending node. Its orbit is taking it from the north to
the
south of the plane of the Earth’s
orbit about the Sun..
Thursday, March 11, 2004:
9 AM CST –
The Sun leaves the constellation of Aquarius and enters Pisces.
Friday, March 12, 2004:
10 PM CST –
The Moon is at the point in its orbit where it is closest to the Earth, perigee
~ 232,000 miles
Saturday, March 13, 2004:
Gamma Nominid metro shower – active Feb. 25 – Mar.
22, ZHR = 8 meteors/hour, the Moon makes it a poor year for this weak southern
hemisphere shower.
3:02 PM CST
– Last Quarter Moon
Monday, March 15, 2004:
The Ides of
March, the day Julius Caesar was assassinated.
10 PM CST –
Comet C/2003 H1 Linear is at its nearest point to the Earth.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004:
5 PM CST –
Mercury is at its ascending node. Its orbit is taking it from north of the
plane
of the Earth’s orbit (the
ecliptic) to the south of the plane.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004:
St. Patrick’s Day – wear green or be
pinched, time to sow peas.
Saturday, March 20, 2004:
12:49 AM
CST – Spring or Vernal Equinox, originally the first day of the
year. The
Sun’s apparent path through the
stars takes it from the south to the north of the Earth’s equator.
3:00 PM CST – NHAC Spring 04
JOVE BBQ/Star Party at the Sammy Neal site.
The Sun leaves the astrological
sign of Pisces, the fishes, and enters the astrological sign of Aries, the Ram.
4:43 PM CST – New Moon,
the beginning of lunation cycle 1005.
Sunday, March 21, 2004:
12 AM CST – Mercury is at the
point in its orbit where it is closest to the Sun, perihelion ~ 28.6 million miles
Wednesday, March 24, 2004:
Virginid
meteor shower – active Jan. 225 – Apr. 15, ZHR = 5 meteors/hour
11 PM CST –
The Moon is at its ascending node. Its orbit is taking it north of the plane of
the Earth’s orbit(ecliptic)
12 PM CST – Pluto ceases its
normal eastward motion through the stars and begins
westward (retrograde) motion.
Thursday, March 25, 2004:
Feast of
the Annunciation, The first day of the year in England until 1752.
Friday, March 26, 2004:
59th
Meeting of the North Houston Astronomy Club
5 PM CST –
Saturn is at east quadrature. The Earth-Sun line is at 90o to the
Saturn-Sun
line, where Saturn is visible in
the evening sky
Saturday, March 27, 2004:
1 AM CST –
The Moon is at the point in its orbit where it is furthest from the Earth,
apogee ~ 254,000 miles.
Sunday, March 28, 2004:
5:48 PM CST
– First Quarter Moon
Monday, March 29, 2004:
6 AM CST – Mercury is at its
greatest elongation east. It appears the furthest from the Sun in the evening
sky ~ 19o
10 AM CST – Venus is at its greatest
elongation east. It appears furthest from the Sun in the evening sky ~ 46o
Wednesday, March 31, 2004:
9 AM CST – Venus is at theoretical
dichotomy – it is 50% illuminated as seen from the Earth.