bcg@ncs-med.UUCP (Brian C. Grande) (03/04/86)
Minnesota Starwatch is a tape recorded message describing the night sky in
the Midwest, which can be called by telephone number (612) 376-5587. It is
updated twice a month, and is produced by the Department of Astronomy,
University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. The
following is the text, courtesy of L-5 Minnesota.
Hello, this is Minnesota Starwatch for March 1986. Comet Halley swung
around the Sun last month and is now rushing towards its closest approach to
the Earth on April 10th. During March, the comet will be just above the
southeast horizon about 1 1/2 hours before sunrise. The best days to look are
between March 7th and the 21st when the moon will be an unobstructed view of
the southeast horizon. The tail is expected to be very prominent in March, so
the effort may be worth it.
If you are up in the early morning, look for Saturn, Mars, and the red
giant star Antares forming a triangle high in the sky to the south. The red
color of Mars is due to iron compounds in the dust and rocks on its surface.
On the other hand, the star Antares is red because it is red hot, with a
surface temperature of about 3000 degrees Kelvin. Antares is near the end of
its life as a normal star and will probably explode as a supernovae in the next
few million years.
In the evening sky, bright planets are absent, but it may be possible to
spot Mercury just above the western horizon shortly after sunset during the 1st
week of March. Again, a dark non-urban sky with a clear view of the horizon is
needed.
Many bright stars are easily seen in the evening, including those making
up the constellation Orion, the star Sirius, to the south of Orion, and the
Pleiades star cluster to the north. Viewed through binoculars, dozens of stars
can be seen in the Pleiades. Orion is just a chance arrangement of stars.
Each star in Orion is moving in a random direction, so that in 5000 years or
so Orion will no longer be recognizable. The Pleiades, on the other hand, are
a true cluster. In 5000 years the Pleiades will still be together.
The current show at the Minneapolis Planetarium is "Comet Halley, Once in
a Lifetime," and runs until April 20th. Show times are Saturday at 11:00, 2:00
and 3:00 and Sundays at 2:00 and 3:00. The Planetarium is located in the main
Minneapolis Public Library, 300 Nicollet Mall. For more information, call
372-6644.
The astronomy Department at the University of Minnesota sponsors a free
public evening every Friday night from 7:00 to 9:00pm if the sky is at least
50% clear. Just come to room 450 of the Physics building on the Minneapolis
east bank campus.
This has been Minnesota Starwatch, produced by the University of Minnesota
Astronomy Department in cooperation with the WCCO Weather Center.
--
Brian C. Grande ...ihnp4!umn-cs!ncs-med!bcg
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