GARRETT COUNTY SKIES
By Dr. Bob Doyle, Frostburg State Planetarium

Doyle writes this column for those who would like to identify the brightest stars, planets and sights in their backyards. To ask questions or get a planetarium brochure, call Dr. Doyle at (301) 687-7799 .

     Sun and Moon this month – As March begins the sun is in front of the stars of Aquarius moving about a degree a day eastward relative to the stars. On March 11th, the sun enters the star group Pisces, where it stays through April 18th. Both of the above star groups are lost in the sun’s glare in March. The star group Aries is behind (east) of the sun so it sets after the sun, appearing low in the southwestern dusk. The star group Capricornus (to the west of the sun)  rises before the sun and is visible low in the southeastern dawn. In early March, sunrises in Oakland are about 6:50 a.m. while sunsets are about  6:10 p.m.(11.7 hours of daylight). Around the end of March, Oakland’s sunrises are about 7 a.m. and sunsets occur about 7:40  p.m. (12.7  hours of daylight). So during March, the stars are last seen around 6 a.m.(early dawn) and then reappear about 6:40 p.m.(late dusk).

    There was a full moon on February 28th, so there will be much evening moonlight in early March. On March 1^st, the moon will appear near the planet Saturn. After March 4th, the moon rises after midnight and is best seen at dawn. On the morning of March 7^th, the moon appears half  full in the southern dawn sky. On March 15^th, the moon swings from the morning to the evening  side of the sun (New Moon). On March  17th, the moon reappears low in the western dusk. On March 22nd, the evening moon appears half full, offering the best views of its craters and mountain ranges with a telescope. Along the moon’s left or straighter edge, the raised rims of the craters and the mountain peaks will first catch the sun’s light. The nearly full moon appears near the planet Mars on March 24^th and 25^th. The moon is full on the evening of March 29^th,  appearing in the star group Virgo.

      March Planets  – The five nearest planets are easily seen by eye, four of them shining steadily in contrast to the twinkling stars. Of the five, Mercury is usually the most difficult to see, at a low angle to the sun and seen very close to the horizon at dawn or dusk. In March, Mercury can be seen low in the western dusk in late March, when it sets about an hour after the sun. In early March, Jupiter is at too low an angle to the sun to be seen. In late March, Jupiter can be seen briefly low in the southeastern dawn. The planet Mars in the southern evening sky appears to the left of Pollux and Castor, Gemini’s bright stars. The other evening planet is Saturn, appearing to the left of Mars in eastern Virgo. The brilliant planet Venus greatly improves in visibility in March as its setting time after the sun increases from 55 minutes to 90 minutes. Late in March, it will be possible to see four planets at dusk, Saturn in the Southeast, Mars in the South, Venus and Mercury low in the West.

  Stars this month – The Big Dipper’s scoop is high in the North Northeast. The two leftmost scoop stars point down and left to the North Star, a modest star about halfway up in the North. Orion is striking in the Southwest with his three star belt. The belt points right to the bright orange star Aldebaran and the 7 Sisters (Pleiades) star cluster. Orion’s belt points left to Sirius, the night’s brightest star.

     The Frostburg State Planetarium’s program for March  is “Quick Intro to the Stars” reviewing the basics of stars, including our sun. Our free public programs are on  the Sundays  of March 7^th,  March 21^st and March 28^th at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Tawes 302. Free planetarium material for visitors includes Night Highlights (for 2010), a March evening sky map and a summary of the main program. After a brief intermission, planetarium visitors are invited to tour the Science Discovery Center where a fine collection of preserved animals from five continents are on display. Call (301) 687-7799 and leave your name and address and a free planetarium bookmark (includes small campus map showing planetarium and easy parking areas) will be sent to you. You may also visit the Frostburg State website where there is an area devoted to the Planetarium (http://www.frostburg.edu/planetarium