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At the Vernal Equinox the earth's axs stands perpendicular to ts orbit around the sun. Day and night are equal. It is the official astronomical beginning of Spring. And welcome to it! |
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Welcome to Spring, March 20, 6:15pm IST
Astronomy Israel welcomes you to the official beginning of Spring which occurs at 6:15pm Israel Standard Time on March 20, 2018. This is astronomically called the Vernal Equinox, Vernal meaning "spring" in Latin, Equinox, meaning "equal night" in Latin, as on this day daylight hours and night time hours become equal. From this day forward the days start to get longer and the nights shorter. The earth stands with its axis perpendicular to the plane of its orbit around the sun.
Labels:
earth axis,
earth orbit,
Spring,
Sun,
Vernal equinox
Don't Miss Venus, Mercury and the New Moon, March 20-25
Because Mercury is never far from the sun it is always hard to spot so any occassion where it appears high in a relatively dark sky is an opportunity to see our elusive closest planet to the sun. And remember, Mercury is so elusive that Copernicus himself was rumored to never have observed it with his own eyes. So, go out at sunset, look west, and enjoy the spectacle of our nearest planets, Mercury and Venus, in the sky close to our nearest celestial body, the earth's own moon!
Venus, elusive Mercury, and the new moon in the western sky at sunset. Don't miss the spectacle March 20-25, 2018! |
Mercury has now moved to the lower right of Venus, no longer above it. Hold your hand out at arm's length and put up three fingers. Mercury now lies three fingers to the right of Venus and just below it in the sky. I was not able to see it with my naked eye from a light polluted park in Mitzpe Ramon, but it should be quite evident with almost any pair of binoculars. once you've identified its location in binoculars you can make it out as a pin prick of light, even in heavy light pollution. Good luck!
Labels:
Moon,
Venus. Mercury,
waxing crescent moon
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