What’s Up Above? April Stargazing

George Harrison wrote prophetically, “little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter.”  For some, spring announces and marks the end of loneliness and the arrival of cherry blossoms, tulips and crocus extended green thumbs, all heralding a season of renewal and rebirth. Winter is over. Yet, for us folks living in the high country, spring is still a hope, a season far off in the distance. It’s a feeling, or a sense that spring is “out there” one just doesn’t know when it will arrive. A memory of snow on the first day of summer some years back won’t fade. Indeed, the weather report foretells of more snow is in the future.

Yes, hope, like spring is eternal. The promise of spring remains to be fulfilled, as it is every year. Appropriately, our celestial dome in the month of April, plays its part in fulfilling this promise with the arrival of our first major meteor shower of the year. Proclaim the day with an early morning smile make possible by the Moon, Saturn, and Venus and sense the presence of a super new Moon, even though you won’t be able to see it. Curious? Step outside, and look up. 

A Virgin Grain of Wheat a Full Pink Moon, April 12th 

Throughout history, a full Moon is notable. At times, it was a harbinger of both good and evil. It may surprise you that before clocks, time was marked by the passage of full Moons. For followers of the Catholic faith, the April full Moon is known as the Paschal Moon. The appearance of this full Moon establishes the date for Easter as the Sunday after the first full Moon of the month. The Farmer’s Almanac refers to the April full Moon as the Pink Moon.  The name is not due to the Moon taken on a pink hue color, however. Rather the name corresponds with the early springtime blooms of wild ground phlox, native to North America. This is because it is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring and has pink pedals.  Specifically, for the Lakota, the April full Moon is called, “Moon When the Ducks Come Back.” For the Dakota Native Americans, it is “Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs.”  Finally, for the Algonquin, it was the “Breaking Ice Moon.”

This month’s full Moon beauty is enhanced by the star Spica in the constellation Virgo. This binary star (two stars gravitationally bound) is the 20th brightest start in the night sky. When you view it through a telescope, since the two stars are so close together Spica takes has a curious egg shape rather than the expected oval. Here’s a tidbit for you about Spica. Its name is derived from the Latin language spīca virginis. Which loosely translates to "the virgin's ear of wheat grain." The ancient Greeks believe that is was Spica the star that gave Hipparchus the insight which led him to discover the precession of the equinoxes.

Lyrid Meteor Shower, Peak Showers April 22nd

Can there be a better way to celebrate Earth Day than to have our cosmos honor Gaia, the Greek goddess who presides over Earth, by igniting by lighting up that night’s sky the first major meteor shower of the year?  One way you can show gratitude for the terra firma we call home is by looking up and observing this a meteor shower raining upon it. Usually the name of the meteor shower indicates the constellation from which the meteors will radiate.  For the Lyrids, that’s misleading as the meteors will radiate from the constellation Hercules, neighbor to the constellation Lyra. This is a meteor shower made for the late nighters and earlier risers amongst us. The shower becomes visible at 1am rising above the eastern horizon. It will then arch around the celestial North Pole during the night and at 6am the radiant point is high in the west sky next to the highest and brightest star, Vega. That’s the point from where the meteors will radiate. The best estimates indicate that the shower will produce its best display at day break, with approximately 17 shooting stars per hour.  The Lyrids aren’t the largest meteor swarm, but they’re worth checking out. So get up early that morning and be appreciative for the Earth we stand on and the universe surrounding us this Earth Day. Mother Earth will appreciate you.

A Celestial Smile to Greet and Celebrate Earth Day, April 25th

Greeting the day. Who doesn’t enjoy watching a sunrise proclaim the arrival of a new day? The early morning risers among us know this well. Would you believe there are those who believe that essentially, a sunrise and a sunset are the same thing, just at different times of the day? Really? Some will strongly beg to differ. For me, a sunrise puts a smile on my face, and there’s no better way to begin the day. And when the solar system smiles back, well you know you’re something special, a child of the cosmos.

Get up and going early on the morning of the 22nd and look east before sunrise. The image above shows the morning sky at 6pm local time, just before the Sun peeks over the horizon. There, my cosmically connect friend, you will feel the warmth of a universe smiling upon you.  The image above shows the morning sky at 6pm local time, just before the Sun peeks over the horizon. There, my cosmically connect friend, you will see a solar system smile. That tilted smile is made possible by the waning crescent Moon, a rising Venus, and diminutive Saturn. True to any smile, this celestial grin will be noticeable, brief, about 30-minutes, and memorable.

Can you resist a smile? I doubt it. Take your cup of coffee to an eastern window as dawn breaks, or step outside to feel the universe’s radiant celestial smile up close and personal. Then, let the day begin.  

A Super New Moon, April 27th  

Of course you’ve heard of super full Moons. This is when the Moon is full and at the same time closest to Earth. The point when the Moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit is called “perigee.” The result is the full Moon is bigger and brighter in the night sky compared to other full Moons. Well, the same thing happens with new Moons. On the 27th the Moon is at perigee. The result is a super new Moon compared to other new Moons. A new Moon is when the Moon resides between the Sun and the Earth. The side of the Moon facing the Earth is not illuminated. Meaning, the Moon is dark. But not entirely. Earthshine, a subtle faint glow, is sunlight that is reflected off of the Earth’s surface hits the Moon’s surface and then that Earthshine light gets reflected back at us on Earth. Follow that?  

Mars Pokes the Beehive, April 30th 

Wisdom and sage advice abounds when it comes to the topic of not provoking others. Whether it’s the phrase “don’t poke the bear” or, more appropriately for us, “If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive” provocation for fun or profit is never the best approach. That said, why would Mars want to kick the beehive? Some would say, well as the god of war, Mars is, well, just being Mars. Whatever the reason be it nurture or nature, Mars gets uncomfortable close to getting stung.

The Beehive Cluster, also known as Praesepe (Latin for “crib” or “manger”) is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. It is also referred to as M44, NGC 2632, or Cr 189 (letters and numbers used in different astronomical catalogues denoting the cluster). While it contains over 1000 stars, it is small nebulous object, difficult to locate with the naked-eye. But, the boldness of Mars to get so close to the bees makes it easier for us to find and see this cluster.  As dusk turns into night, walk outside and look to the western horizon. Find the Moon. Just below it is the planet Jupiter. From either of them, look up four fists width of your extended arm up at a slight diagonal to the left (south). You’re look for Mars, which is easy to identify as it is a noticeable rust color. The Beehive Cluster is to the upper left of Mars, so closely that Mars is almost inside the cluster.  Fortunately, Mars is dimming and will minimally impact your ability to see the delightful blue, amber, white, and rose colored stars. To see these colors, make sure you are viewing the cluster from a dark location. Best not to be a provoker; let Mars poke the hive for you to release the bees!

Whether April brings a breath of freshness and hope, or the ceaseless weight of a winter, step outside into the night, and look up.  Find renewal, solace, and hope in the transitioning of our celestial seasons. As the Sun continues its rising in the daytime sky, we do celebrate its return. Harrison was correct, we to like the Sun do climb and rise out of a long cold lonely winter. We are refreshed, and renewed. While we exclaim, “Here comes the Sun!” don’t forget to look up at the stars at night. They’ve been there for you, through a long cold lonely winter.    

Clear skies to you!