Poster Maker: Feng Juan
In early spring and March, the temperature rises and the "Celestial Theater" begins to warm up. According to astronomical science experts, the protagonist of the "Celestial Theater" in March is several bright planets in the solar system, including the "star attraction" staged by Mercury and Saturn, the "two-person rotation" brought by Venus and Mars, and the "three-star moon" jointly launched by Venus, Mars and Saturn.
Tianjin astronomy enthusiast Zhang Ziyao photographed Mercury in Tianjin on the morning of November 18, 2013. (Courtesy of me)
On March 2, Mercury and Saturn "join", when the two planets will be very close. Under sunny weather conditions, interested members of the public can choose to observe at dawn on the day of the conjunction and a few days before and after, facing the northeast at low altitude. "The height of the binary star horizon is not very high, coupled with the influence of morning light, it is very difficult to see with the naked eye, it is best to use binoculars or small astronomical telescopes to observe, but be sure to avoid looking directly at the sun." Xiu Lipeng, director of the Tianjin Astronomical Society and an expert on astronomical science popularization, reminded.
In March, the planets Venus and Mars "meet" in close proximity, and on March 12, the two "meet". "Before dawn, the two planets appeared together in the low southeast. Venus is located above, very bright and very easily recognizable, while Mars is much less luminous than Venus, but brighter than it was in February. Xiu Lipeng said.
Tianjin astronomy enthusiast Ma Qiang photographs Venus in Tianjin on the morning of February 4, 2022. (Courtesy of me)
On March 20, Venus, which appears as a "daystar", will usher in the west of the big distance. The west distance of Venus refers to the fact that Venus is in the west of the Sun, and from the Earth, venus and the sun have the largest angle of distance, which is a favorable time to see Venus in the morning. For some time thereafter, as long as the weather is good, the public can find it with the naked eye in the southeast sky in the early morning, which is very eye-catching and very suitable for observation.
Tianjin astronomy enthusiast Yang Jing photographs Venus, Mars and the Moon in Tianjin on the morning of February 27, 2022. (Courtesy of me)
On the morning of March 28 and 29, the low altitude in the southeast will stage a fun celestial phenomenon of "three stars with the moon" for two consecutive days, and Venus, Mars, Saturn and the residual moon will "gather" in the sky at close range. At that time, as long as the weather is good, all parts of the country can see the "same frame" of these four bright celestial bodies with the naked eye before sunrise.
Xiu Lipeng said that in addition to the eye-catching performance of several planets, it will enter the "Messier Celestial Marathon" observation season from the end of March. The end of March to early April is the observing season of the "Messier Celestial Marathon", and ideally, astronomy enthusiasts can use a full night to find 109 of the 110 deep-sky objects in the "Table of The Messier Nebula Clusters" with telescopes in a specific order of observation.
Producer: Hu Qinghai
Planner: Liu Xinhui
Reporter: Zhou Runjian
Editors: Lian Changyan, Tang Jianhui
It was co-produced by Xinhua News Agency and Tianjin Branch of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Starry Sky Studios