WEBVTT 00:00:07.309 --> 00:00:10.210 Howdy Star Gazers and welcome to this episode 00:00:10.210 --> 00:00:13.750 of Star Trails. I'm Drew and I'll be your guide 00:00:13.750 --> 00:00:16.250 to the night sky for the week starting March 00:00:16.250 --> 00:00:21.350 30th through April 5th. We've just entered galaxy 00:00:21.350 --> 00:00:24.570 season, that time of year when astronomers often 00:00:24.570 --> 00:00:28.219 set their sights on deep sky objects. We'll cover 00:00:28.219 --> 00:00:31.100 some potential targets and offer up viewing tips 00:00:31.100 --> 00:00:34.340 later in the show, but now let's see what's happening 00:00:34.340 --> 00:00:39.119 closer to home. We begin the week with a waxing 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:42.920 crescent moon, barely noticeable at just 2 % 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:46.240 illumination. It grows gradually brighter each 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:49.000 night, reaching first quarter moon by week's 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:51.960 end. The moon is worth keeping an eye on, as 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:54.640 it's going to make a couple of lovely appearances 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:57.829 near planets this week. More on that in a moment. 00:00:58.810 --> 00:01:02.070 Now, let's talk about the planets. Venus is back, 00:01:02.189 --> 00:01:05.150 but not where you might expect. It's now the 00:01:05.150 --> 00:01:08.069 morning star, shining brilliantly in the eastern 00:01:08.069 --> 00:01:12.250 sky before sunrise. By April 1st, it'll be rising 00:01:12.250 --> 00:01:16.069 about an hour before the sun. Through your telescope, 00:01:16.329 --> 00:01:19.329 you'll spot it as a slender crescent, but even 00:01:19.329 --> 00:01:22.269 to the naked eye, it's a spectacular, dazzling 00:01:22.269 --> 00:01:26.230 sight. Mars is still hanging out in the evening 00:01:26.230 --> 00:01:29.510 sky, tucked away in the constellation Gemini. 00:01:30.209 --> 00:01:33.629 You'll spot it as a reddish point of light. And 00:01:33.629 --> 00:01:35.769 if you're looking for a great viewing moment, 00:01:36.209 --> 00:01:39.790 circle April the 5th on your calendar. That night, 00:01:39.989 --> 00:01:43.189 the first quarter moon will cozy up near Mars, 00:01:43.709 --> 00:01:47.109 right alongside the twin stars Castor and Pollux, 00:01:47.409 --> 00:01:49.730 creating a beautiful gathering in the western 00:01:49.730 --> 00:01:53.959 sky after sunset. Jupiter is still shining brightly 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:58.319 in Taurus. Look for it on April 2 when the waxing 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:01.299 crescent moon will be close to the king of planets. 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:04.700 Look toward the western sky just after sunset 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:09.039 for that eye -catching conjunction. Saturn, Mercury, 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:13.020 and Neptune are all in the sun's glare, so you 00:02:13.020 --> 00:02:16.699 won't spot them this week. But for an extra challenge, 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:20.039 telescope and binocular astronomers may want 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:24.099 to hunt down Uranus. It's visible at magnitude 00:02:24.099 --> 00:02:28.520 5 .8, about 7 to 8 degrees below the Pleiades 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:32.500 near Taurus. As always, consult with a star chart 00:02:32.500 --> 00:02:41.219 or app for the exact location. Tonight we're 00:02:41.219 --> 00:02:43.659 heading into one of the most exciting times of 00:02:43.659 --> 00:02:47.199 the year for deep sky observers Galaxy season 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:51.159 this stretch of springtime nights typically from 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:54.860 late March to early May Offers some of the best 00:02:54.860 --> 00:02:57.659 views of distant galaxies, especially for those 00:02:57.659 --> 00:03:01.340 of us in the northern hemisphere During galaxy 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:03.919 season Earth's position and its orbit around 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:07.439 the Sun tilts our view away from the bright star 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:11.580 -packed plane of the Milky Way With less interference 00:03:11.580 --> 00:03:14.500 from the Milky Way's dense core, we're treated 00:03:14.500 --> 00:03:16.879 to some of the clearest and darkest views of 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:20.860 the universe beyond our own galaxy. So let's 00:03:20.860 --> 00:03:23.759 explore some galaxies that haven't been getting 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:27.039 the spotlight lately, but absolutely deserve 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:30.180 some attention. Here's what to point your telescope 00:03:30.180 --> 00:03:38.860 at this galaxy season. and the Cigar Galaxy, 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:43.680 M82. Located in the constellation Ursa Major, 00:03:44.099 --> 00:03:48.379 these two galaxies make an intriguing pair. M81 00:03:48.379 --> 00:03:53.099 is a grand spiral galaxy, while M82 is a striking 00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:57.280 elongated starburst galaxy. They're just about 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:00.240 12 million light years away from us and show 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:03.419 up in smaller telescopes as faint patches of 00:04:03.419 --> 00:04:10.900 light. M101, the pinwheel galaxy. Also located 00:04:10.900 --> 00:04:15.580 in Ursa Major, M101 is a gorgeous face -on spiral 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:19.839 galaxy. It's known for its large size and distinct 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:24.220 spiral arms. Under dark skies, with a 6 -inch 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:27.040 or larger telescope, you can start to make out 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:30.259 some of its delicate structure. It's approximately 00:04:30.259 --> 00:04:36.120 21 million light -years away. Number three, M51, 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:40.399 the Whirlpool Galaxy. Found in the constellation 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:44.879 Canes Venetici, the Whirlpool Galaxy is a stunning 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:48.600 interacting galaxy that's just about 31 million 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:52.439 light years away. What's amazing about this galaxy 00:04:52.439 --> 00:04:55.360 is that with a telescope of six inches or more, 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:58.600 you can actually see hints of its spiral arms 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:04.699 and even its smaller companion galaxy. NGC 5195, 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:09.500 seemingly connected by a bridge of stars. Number 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:15.899 four on our list, NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:19.879 Located in the constellation Coma Berenices, 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:24.120 the Needle Galaxy is a spectacular edge -on spiral 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:28.259 galaxy. Its slender elongated shape makes it 00:05:28.259 --> 00:05:31.620 stand out. With a large telescope, you can catch 00:05:31.620 --> 00:05:35.360 a clear view of its bright central bulge bisected 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:39.420 by a dark dust lane. It's around 40 million light 00:05:39.420 --> 00:05:45.459 years away. And finally, number five, M106, the 00:05:45.459 --> 00:05:49.579 splinter galaxy. Also in the constellation Canes 00:05:49.579 --> 00:05:54.519 Venetici, you'll find M106, a bright and fairly 00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:58.120 large spiral galaxy that's about 22 million light 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:02.360 years away. Its bright core is easy to spot even 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:05.240 with a small telescope, and if you have a larger 00:06:05.240 --> 00:06:08.279 scope, you might even notice some of its spiral 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:12.079 structure. To get the best view of all these 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:15.379 galaxies, use a telescope with at least six to 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:18.740 eight inches of aperture. Make sure you're observing 00:06:18.740 --> 00:06:22.079 from a dark sky site with minimal light pollution. 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:25.779 Using averted vision that's slightly looking 00:06:25.779 --> 00:06:28.949 off to the side of the object, can help make 00:06:28.949 --> 00:06:32.170 faint details more noticeable. If you're using 00:06:32.170 --> 00:06:36.310 binoculars, you'll be able to catch M81 and M82, 00:06:36.870 --> 00:06:40.490 but most of these galaxies will require a telescope. 00:06:41.589 --> 00:06:44.750 Galaxies are always popular with astrophotographers, 00:06:44.910 --> 00:06:48.649 and for good reason. Keep in mind, most galaxies 00:06:48.649 --> 00:06:51.709 will appear as a faint grayish smudge against 00:06:51.709 --> 00:06:55.459 the darkness. Astrophotographers have the unique 00:06:55.459 --> 00:06:58.199 advantage of using long -exposure photography 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.860 to reveal incredible details that our eyes simply 00:07:01.860 --> 00:07:05.899 can't capture in real time. When a camera's sensor 00:07:05.899 --> 00:07:09.199 collects light over minutes or even hours, it 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:12.060 brings out the intricate structure of galaxies. 00:07:12.839 --> 00:07:16.339 For example, the glowing spiral arms of the pinwheel 00:07:16.339 --> 00:07:19.500 galaxy, the dust lanes in the needle galaxy, 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:22.639 or the swirling interactions of the Whirlpool 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:27.600 galaxy and its companion. Astrophotography also 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.800 allows us to capture the colors of these galaxies, 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:34.300 from the reddish glow of star -forming regions 00:07:34.300 --> 00:07:38.500 to the bluish hues of hot young stars. These 00:07:38.500 --> 00:07:41.319 details provide important information about the 00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:45.949 galaxy's composition, age, and evolution. For 00:07:45.949 --> 00:07:49.129 budding astrophotographers, galaxy season is 00:07:49.129 --> 00:07:52.329 a fantastic time to push your equipment's capabilities. 00:07:53.050 --> 00:07:56.410 Even a modest setup with a DSLR or mirrorless 00:07:56.410 --> 00:07:59.550 camera and a decent lens on a tracking mount 00:07:59.550 --> 00:08:03.230 can produce some jaw -dropping images. And with 00:08:03.230 --> 00:08:06.449 more advanced gear, like dedicated astro cameras 00:08:06.449 --> 00:08:10.050 and larger telescopes, you can create breathtaking, 00:08:10.370 --> 00:08:13.230 high -resolution views of these distant worlds. 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:16.300 So, if you've been thinking about trying your 00:08:16.300 --> 00:08:19.220 hand at astrophotography, there's no better time 00:08:19.220 --> 00:08:23.420 than right now. Also, we can't forget the Messier 00:08:23.420 --> 00:08:28.279 Marathon. Attempting to view all 110 Messier 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:31.439 objects in a single night is a fantastic challenge 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:34.860 during galaxy season. Many of the objects on 00:08:34.860 --> 00:08:37.679 the list are galaxies, making this time of year 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:40.929 perfect to run the marathon. Try to complete 00:08:40.929 --> 00:08:43.850 the challenge when skies are darkest, like during 00:08:43.850 --> 00:08:47.389 the April new moon. Many of these objects can 00:08:47.389 --> 00:08:50.909 be viewed with a cheap pair of binoculars. The 00:08:50.909 --> 00:08:53.730 Astronomical League publishes an excellent field 00:08:53.730 --> 00:08:57.009 guide for viewing all the Messier objects. I'll 00:08:57.009 --> 00:09:05.019 include a link to that in the show notes. If 00:09:05.019 --> 00:09:07.600 you found this episode helpful, let me know and 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:10.539 feel free to send in your questions and observations. 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:13.419 The easiest way to do that is by visiting our 00:09:13.419 --> 00:09:17.960 website starrtrails .show. This is also a great 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:21.080 way to share the show with friends. Until next 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:23.659 time, keep looking up and exploring the night 00:09:23.659 --> 00:09:25.700 sky. Clear skies everyone!