{"id":30703,"date":"2022-03-28T07:02:43","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T07:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=106479"},"modified":"2022-03-28T07:19:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-28T07:19:11","slug":"star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april\/","title":{"rendered":"Star DiaryPodcast: 28 March to 3 April"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\"><\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Ezzy Pearson\n                \t\t<\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Monday, 28 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>What\u2019s coming up in the night sky in the week of 28 March to 3 April 2022.<\/p>\n<div class=\"&quot;embed&quot;\"> <div class=\"&quot;embed__intrinsic&quot;\"> <iframe src=\"&quot;\/\/embed.acast.com\/radio-astronomy\/star-diary-28march-3apri&quot;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"&quot;0&quot;\"\/> <\/div>\n<\/div> <h1>Transcript<\/h1>\n<p><strong>Chris Bramley <\/strong>Hello and welcome to Star Diary, the podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night magazine. You can subscribe to the print edition of the magazine by visiting <a href=\"&quot;http:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com&quot;\">www.skyatnightmagazine.com<\/a> or to a digital edition by visiting iTunes or Google Play.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>Greetings, listeners, welcome to Star Diary. What will now be a weekly guide to the best things to see in the night sky. Every Monday will give you a rundown of everything stargazers might want to look up for, starting with the week of the 28th of March to the 3rd of April 2022. I\u2019m Ezzy Pearson and I\u2019m joined on the podcast to date by our reviews editor, Paul Money. So Paul, what are your recommendations for the coming week?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Money <\/strong>Hello, Ezzy. Yes, we\u2019ve got an interesting week ahead, but it\u2019s one for early morning people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>Oh no.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Money <\/strong>So get your alarms set, because a lot of the events this week happen in the\u2026 Quite an inconvenient time, isn\u2019t it? But it\u2019s just one of those things. The sky doesn\u2019t go by our clock, does it? It does what it wants to do. So we start off on the 28th to the 29th with no bright planets in the evening skies. So it\u2019s all happening in the morning with <a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/skills\/observing-guide-how-see-planets-march\/&quot;\">Venus, Mars and Saturn<\/a> because they\u2019re joined by the Crescent Moon. It\u2019s a very slim crescent moon below Mars on the 28th, but he\u2019s one of those things you\u2019ve got to bear in mind around about 6:00 a.m. You got to look for the low moon rise because a lot of the planets will be up. The Moon is below Mars, so you know, it\u2019s going to be one of those things you need to wait until the Moon has risen and the sky will be gradually getting lighter. So it\u2019s a sort of battle of the planets now Venus, while it\u2019s easy and really bright, so it will stay visible even into bright twilight. But it\u2019s Mars and Saturn that are battling against the actual brightening twilight. But as you wait for the actual moon to rise, so now the thing is, on the next morning, the 29th Venus and Saturn are actually in conjunction and Mars will be to their right. So Saturn effectively will be as close to Venus as it can get for this particular apparition. So there\u2019ll be a nice little triangle sort of thing really for the actual conjunction or series of conjunction because it\u2019s all happening in the next few days, right through to the end of March itself. But as I say, it involves these three planets, because they sort of change in position. The way how their motions are taking place, Venus will be moving to the left of Saturn as Mars slowly creeps closer to Saturn. So what happens is we start to notice that they\u2019re getting closer and closer. As Venus is moving away from Saturn, you end up with a very shallow triangle, with Saturn being the apex pointing down.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>We always love a good triangle in the sky<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Money <\/strong>We do everything, everything\u2026 because we like shapes because they\u2019re easy. The eye is drawn to shapes more than just the all dot in the sky, unless you\u2019re particularly bright like Venus. So when we get to the 31st, we\u2019re actually looking at Venus, Saturn and Mars firmly form in this slight, so I say triangle, but you could also argue it\u2019s a bit of a curve. It depends on how you want to define it, but this is really nice in the morning sky, but you do have to be up I\u2019m afraid. You know, we\u2019re talking about six, six a.m. So the thing for these sort of times, though, it\u2019s a shame, really.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>Some people get up at that time anyway. I am not one of them, but some people do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Money <\/strong>Neither am I. Well, let\u2019s stay up all night. You know, it\u2019s one of those things that I\u2019m not very good at setting alarms and not get because I usually turn the alarm off and then turn over and go back to sleep. But, you know, I\u2019m better staying up. I\u2019m one of those. If if it\u2019s a clear night, then I\u2019m actually a lot better staying up than trying to put the alarm on as such. But so we\u2019ve got quite a few arrangements. And the interesting thing is that if you watch for each consecutive morning, you\u2019ll see the changing shape of the planets, how they\u2019re making these sort of strange triangles, sort of thing. So, you know, I say right at the beginning, they are not quite. I always think it\u2019s funny because it\u2019s not quite a right angle triangle. It\u2019s a left handed triangle, but you get what I mean. Yeah, but it gradually distorts. It reminds me of <a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/astrophotography\/astrophoto-tips\/constellation-photography\/&quot;\">the Plough asterism<\/a> because over the, you know, thousands of years, it actually changes its shape. But of course, we don\u2019t notice from a night to night, do we? Yeah. Whereas with the planets, their motions mean we can see the changing shape of this grouping over the course of this particular week. So we get to April the 3rd and in fact, they\u2019re almost in a straight line. All three planets now. Mars has crept closer to Saturn because next week, which won\u2019t, we\u2019ll come to next week when we actually close together and in conjunction. But at the moment, you\u2019ve got brilliant Venus to the left. This is the 3rd you need to look a little bit early to get the sky a little bit darker. So I\u2019d send around about, say, 5:50, something like that in the morning, depending on where you are, will also effect how bright the sky is. Of course, the further north you are, the light the sky will be, and the further south you are, the darker it\u2019ll be. It\u2019s just one of those quirks isn\u2019t it with the actual sky. So we\u2019ve got this line of taking place or thing as the rise in the morning twilight Mars, you can see gradually catching up with Saturn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>It is remarkable how much of a straight line are in actually on the 3rd. It\u2019s one of those things that it\u2019s I always forget when I see one of those line ups that they\u2019re all orbiting in the same plane. Of course, they\u2019re all going to go into a straight line occasionally. But it\u2019s always, always amazing when it actually happens.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Money <\/strong>Yeah, I mean, you know, and but line ups like this, you know, they\u2019re not as regular as you\u2019d think. So because you\u2019ve got to have a grouping of planets. And so, you know, I mean, two isn\u2019t really a line, is it sort of thing unless it lines up with a star? But when you got three planets, it makes a big difference sort of thing. Now, when we get to our fourth week hint hint, they\u2019ll be joined by another planet and there\u2019ll be a line of before, but we\u2019ll come to that another time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>Tune back in for that one.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Money <\/strong>Yeah, get tuned in for the next one. I mean, Venus is so dazzling, it will be the one that catches your attention first. And so just you just wander your eyes to the right and two more dots and that will be Mars And Saturn. As I say Mars is rapidly\u2026 Mars the inner planet, of course, compared with this. now Venus is an inner planet, but Mars is sort of outside our orbit. Venus is inside, so the motions can be a little bit odd. So Mars is gradually passing or going to be passing Saturn, whereas Venus is a brilliant planet, but it\u2019s\u00a0 dropping back in towards the solar. Why it\u2019s so bright. That\u2019s the one you can hold on to for the longest. So you know quite fascinating to see them in this lineup . But you do need several planets together to actually do this, and it doesn\u2019t always happen, but as I say we\u2019ll be in for a treat later on in the month. So that\u2019s planet wise. There\u2019s not a great deal happening, I\u2019m afraid, in the nice, convenient evening time, but there is at least one event we can look at and on the same day, so we\u2019re looking at Mars April 3rd here in the evening. Look out for the slim crescent moon. Now you want to be looking about, I\u2019d say, about nine o\u2019clock ish. But as soon as you can spot the Moon in the evening sky, allow it to get a bit darker the sky because you\u2019re going to need that for the next target because the crescent moon is right next to Uranus. Now, Uranus is getting to the point whereby it will soon be lost in the bright evening twilight. We will lose it completely for a seasonal thing, and then we\u2019ll have to wait quite a few months before it merges back into the morning sky. So this is, I think this is the best last gasp <a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/skills\/how-see-uranus-in-night-sky\/&quot;\">for getting Uranus<\/a> because you\u2019ve got a nice, bright thing, something you should be able to find the crescent moon now. So we had the crescent moon in the morning sky, and he\u2019s obviously passed through new phase mid-week. And so therefore it\u2019s now crept into the morning sky. And so we\u2019re actually got this really is a very slim crescent Moon, and it\u2019s about a degree from Uranus, so you should be able to find them in a good pair of 10\u00d750 binoculars s7x50 should help them spot them as well. But I say you need the sky to get a little bit darker so you can pick out Uranus and Uranus is \u2013 Well, it\u2019s that planet that we always say is technically naked eye, but it\u2019s borderline, isn\u2019t it? So it depends on your eye sight and sky conditions, light pollution. There\u2019s so many factors that will affect it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>It\u2019s no Venus<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Money <\/strong>It\u2019s definitely not very. No, no. I mean, Venus is dazzling, but I think it put a telescope on the Venus and you are dazzled by it now or not.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>Yeah. Venus is hard to miss, you know, like it\u2019s one of those ones that like when you\u2019re driving along you\u2019ll suddenly go, Oh, that\u2019s not very bright. Oh, that\u2019s because it\u2019s not stars.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Money <\/strong>Yeah, exactly. It\u2019s one of those things that you know that you can see why Venus got called the morning or Evening Star, because it was so obvious. But Uranus borderline\u2026 magnitude 5.8, thereabouts. So yes. So you do need the sky to get darker to spot that. But binoculars should spot it, and it\u2019ll be to the right of the crescent moon in your pair of binoculars. So what else is it? Well, it\u2019s again the last gasp time, really, I think for the sword of Orion. I mean, <a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/skills\/orion-constellation-best-targets-observe\/&quot;\">Orion<\/a> is getting really low in the southwest now in the evenings. So to give us a bit of an evening target, get the Orion Nebula now while you can, because literally in the next few weeks, once the Moon\u2019s come back around to be in full after that, it\u2019s gone. It\u2019s too low. So this is the chance now. So I think there\u2019s lots in the sword of Orion, it starts off with a cluster at the top NGC1981. It\u2019s one of those clusters that gets missed because people go for the Orion Nebula sort of thing. So, you know, it\u2019s a shame because I was thinking there\u2019s there\u2019s two clusters in the night sky look like this is the nerd coming out of me now, the <a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/top-astronomy-kit\/best-star-trek-merchandise-2022\/&quot;\">Trekkie<\/a>. So look, I think it looks like a bit of a bird of prey from the Klingons, but it\u2019s down to each everybody\u2019s own imagination. And then below that, we\u2019ve got the region which includes the <a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/astrophotography\/nebulae\/running-man-nebula\/&quot;\">Running Man Nebula.<\/a> Now you do need really a big telescope or photography to bring out the running man, to be fair. Then of course, below that you\u2019ve got the <a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/astrophotography\/nebulae\/the-orion-nebula-m42\/&quot;\">Orion Nebula<\/a>. So, you know, Messier 42, a Messier 43 and then directly below the Orion Nebula. Don\u2019t forget this Iota Orionis. It\u2019s a wonderful double, you know, just nicely split. And then there\u2019s another double. Forget the Struve designation, but there\u2019s another double it as well. So there\u2019s a lot going on in the sword of Orion. So grab it now. This is your last chance, really, and in a reasonably dark sky before it\u2019s too low and in the twilight some of the first week, quite a lot going on there.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>Yeah, certainly sounds like there\u2019s a lot going on. You\u2019ve got some planets also, you know, Orion is always a good, good shout, I think as well. There\u2019s just so much going on throughout the constellation of Orion and particularly, as you said in its belt. Thank you very much for joining us today, Paul. It\u2019s a pleasure. If you want to find out even more spectacular sights that will be gracing the night sky throughout the month, be sure to <a href=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/subscribe&quot;\">pick up a copy of BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/a>, where we have a 16 page pullout sky guide with a full overview of everything worth looking up for. Whether you like to look at the Moon, the planets or the deep sky, whether you use binoculars telescopes on either, our Sky guide has got you covered with the detailed star charts to help you track your way across the night sky from all of us here at BBC Sky at Night Magazine. Goodbye.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris Bramley <\/strong>Thank you for listening to this episode of the Star Diary podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine, which was produced in our Bristol studio by Brittany Colley. For more of our podcast, visit our website at skyatnightmagazine.com or head to a Acast, iTunes or Spotify.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Ezzy Pearson Published: Monday, 28 March 2022 at 12:00 am What\u2019s coming up in the night sky in the week of 28 March to 3 April 2022. Transcript Chris Bramley Hello and welcome to Star Diary, the podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night magazine. You can subscribe to the print edition [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":30704,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"11"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/03\/star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april.jpg",1500,1000,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/03\/star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/03\/star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/03\/star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/03\/star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/03\/star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april.jpg",1500,1000,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/03\/star-diarypodcast-28-march-to-3-april.jpg",1500,1000,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Ezzy Pearson Published: Monday, 28 March 2022 at 12:00 am What\u2019s coming up in the night sky in the week of 28 March to 3 April 2022. Transcript Chris Bramley Hello and welcome to Star Diary, the podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night magazine. 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