Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

Spring is when the Big Dipper climbs high into the north, making it an excellent guidepost in the sky. Look for the three stars in the handle of the Big Dipper and you’ll notice they form a curve or arc in the sky, the "Arc to Arcturus."

Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, is notoriously difficult to see. We only have a chance to see it three or four times a year and one of those opportunities is right now.

This year, International Dark Sky Week begins on Earth Day, April 22, and runs through April 30. It’s a chance to celebrate, learn, and experience the beauty of dark skies and the need to preserve it.

Mid-April to mid-May is a good time to see a collection of bright stars in the west called “The Arch of Spring.” Even though they’ve been around all winter, we notice these stars more when they get lower in the sky because they’re closer to the horizon.

The week of April 4 offers a perfect opportunity to follow the waxing crescent moon. In this case, “waxing” refers to the crescent shape growing larger each night.

All this week, the early evening sky is clear of moonlight, which allows us time to explore some of the fainter deep sky objects with binoculars and telescopes. One of the best is the Beehive Star Cluster in Cancer the Crab.

All this week, a trio of planets group closer together in the morning sky before dawn.

This year, the March equinox arrives on the 20th which marks the first day of spring for the northern hemisphere. What does that mean in astronomical terms?

With binoculars, look for the large, almost perfectly round maria a little to the upper right of the center of the moon. This is the Sea of Serenity, measuring in at over 400 miles across.

About 90 minutes after sunset, look high in the south for the three stars in a line that make up Orion’s Belt. Underneath Orion is a faint trapezoid of stars that make up the body of Lepus the Hare.

About two hours after sunset, look high in the south for the constellation of Orion the Hunter. Orion’s Belt can help you find the three bright stars of the Winter Triangle.

The brightest star in the entire sky is... The Sun! So what’s the brightest star in the entire nighttime sky?

We won’t have any notable planets to see in the evening sky for many months, but Venus has returned to the morning sky!

About two hours after sunset, look halfway up the eastern sky for two bright stars that are relatively close to one another. These are Pollux and Castor, the heads of Gemini the Twins.

With the bright moon now out of the sky, it’s a perfect time to look for one of the season’s best deep sky objects – The Great Orion Nebula. About two hours after sunset, look about a third of the way up the southeast sky for Orion’s Belt, a line of three bright stars.

Of all the things that move among the stars, earth orbiting satellites can be quite common to see. During the few hours after sunset or before sunrise, literally dozens of satellites can be seen as faint slow moving dots.

All this week, the sunlit side of the moon will seem to grow as the moon rises later each night. This period between First Quarter and Full is called the Waxing Gibbous Moon.

Ushering in the new year is one of the best known constellations of all, Orion the Hunter.

About two hours after sunset, look about a third of the way up the eastern sky for the orange star Aldebaran. To the Greeks, Aldebaran was the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull.

Many of our modern holiday traditions have their roots in the winter festivals of long ago, and that includes the date we now call "Christmas."