EarthSky News - March 15 - Back-to-Back Mars Dust Storms

March 15 Back-to-Back Mars Dust Storms by:

Back-to-back Mars dust storms  In the past few weeks, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has reported 2 dust storms that sprang up in Mars northern hemisphere, then blew up to continent-size upon shifting southward. See it! Moon sweeps past Jupiter Monday and Tuesday nights, the waning moon and this planet were near each other and the 2 brightest things in the night sky. Photos here, from the EarthSky community. All you need to know: March equinox The 2017 vernal or spring (or fall) equinox will come on March 20 at 10:29 UTC. Spring arrives for the north - fall for the south - of Earth's globe. Tonight … Use Big Dipper to find North Star Here's how to spot Polaris, aka the North Star. The 2 outer stars in the Big Dipper's bowl point to it. Also … Use Big Dipper to find Little Dipper The Big Dipper is easy to recognize, but the Little Dipper ... not so much. The same sky trick that leads you to Polaris, though, also leads you to the Little Dipper.

Order your EarthSky Planisphere today! A planisphere is virtually indispensable for beginning stargazers. Your support means the world to us.

See it! Moon sweeps past Jupiter Moon and Jupiter early Wednesday morning - March 15, 2017 - from Prabhakaran A in India. View larger to see the little line of starlike objects near Jupiter. These are the planet's famous Galilean moons.

Use Big Dipper to find North Star Polaris, aka the North Star, isn't the sky's brightest star. Its location in our sky makes it special. Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

by: