LISTEN to this week’s Sky Report

This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the week ending Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Here is what’s happening in the skies of Southern California:

The moon brightens many of the nighttime hours this week. It changes phase from waxing gibbous to full on March 16, the Worm Moon. After this, the moon will show as waning gibbous until it reaches last quarter phase on the 23^rd.

Jupiter, in Gemini the Twins, is the brilliant planet that is nearly overhead as darkness falls. It can be seen until it sets in the west-northwest at 3:15 a.m. While binoculars can show you the planet’s four largest moons, appearing as tiny stars that re-arrange themselves nightly around the planet’s disk, a telescope is required to make out the planet’s weather patterns. The most famous of these, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, an oval storm that has been seen for centuries, will be visible from southern California at 9:00 p.m. on the 14^th, 16^th and 19^th.

The orange planet Mars is in Virgo the Maiden. It easily outshines Virgo’s brightest star, Spica, located 6 degrees southwest of the planet. This is prime-time for backyard Mars observers, with only a month to go until the planet’s close-approach to earth. The best time to examine Mars this week is 3:00 a.m., when it is at its highest in the south, but it is easy to see by 10:00 p.m., after it rises in the east-southeast. A telescope, high magnification, and steady weather conditions will allow you to see the planet’s features. Because a day on Mars is 40 minutes longer than our day, the face of the planet that can be seen changes a little night-by-night. This week, the Tharsis region of Mars, dominated by several giant, cloud-shrouded volcanoes, faces us on the 13^th. By the 20^th, we will be able to see the Chryse region and the giant canyon, Valles Marineris. The moon passes near Mars on the night of the 18^th.

Golden planet Saturn, in Libra the Scales, rises in the east-southeast at 11:30 p.m. and is at its highest in the south just before dawn. A telescope can be used to observe the northern face of the planet’s spectacular rings, now tilted 22 degrees from edge-on. The moon will appear near Saturn on the mornings of the 20^th and 21^st.

The brightest planet, Venus, blazes in the southeast at the start of dawn, and Mercury, appearing as a bright star, can be seen 8 degrees high in the east at 6:40 a.m. Use binoculars to find Mercury against the bright light of dawn.

The Hawthorne-based Space Exploration Corporation, SpaceX, will launch its third contracted cargo supply mission to the International Space Station on Sunday morning, March 16, at 1:41 a.m., PDT. The modified Falcon 9 booster used to launch the Dragon supply capsule has landing legs that are designed to deploy after it separates from the upper stage. Instead of simply being discarded, the lower stage will restart an engine that is intended to power the booster to a soft, controlled landing in the ocean. This is seen as an important test of system that could eventually allow a rocket’s return to a landing field after launch for re-use. Follow the launch live on NASA TV or on the SpaceX webcast.

Free views of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for our schedule. The next public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, April 5.

From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.