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Blood Moon Rising: A Total Lunar Eclipse · Star Trails: From Backyard Astronomy to Cosmic Wonder

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  Howdy stargazers and welcome to this episode of Star Trails.
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  I'm Drew and I'll be your guide to the night sky for the week starting March 9th through
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  the 15th.
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  This week a total lunar eclipse turns our full moon blood red.
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  We say goodbye to Saturn for a while and a newly launched space telescope promises to
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  redefine how we see the universe.
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  So grab a comfortable chair under the night sky and let's get started.
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  First up let's check in with our neighbor, the moon.
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  This week our lunar cycle moves from a waxing gibbous phase to a brilliant full moon on
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  the early morning of March 14th.
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  This month's full moon is known as the Worm Moon, a name passed down from Native American
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  tribes.
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  It marks the thawing of the ground and the return of earthworms, an important sign that
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  spring is right around the corner.
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  And this year's Worm Moon is going to be extra special because it's also bringing us a total
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  lunar eclipse.
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  On the night of March 13th into the early hours of March 14th we'll witness a total
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  lunar eclipse, sometimes called a blood moon, owing to the eerie reddish hue the moon takes
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  on during totality.
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  A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth comes directly between the sun and the moon, casting
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  a shadow that darkens the lunar surface.
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  There are three phases of a lunar eclipse.
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  The penumbral phase begins around midnight, eastern standard time.
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  The moon starts to move into earth's outer shadow causing a slight dimming that's hard
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  to notice with the naked eye.
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  The partial eclipse begins after 1am when the moon enters the darker inner part of the earth's
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  shadow, the umbra, and a bite-like shadow appears on the lunar surface.
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  Totality begins around 2.30am EST when the moon is fully covered by earth's umbral shadow.
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  Dying red due to sunlight scattering through earth's atmosphere.
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  That deep red color happens because earth's atmosphere filters out shorter wavelength
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  blue light and bends the longer wavelength red and orange light toward the moon.
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  Essentially, it's the same reason why sunsets look red.
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  If you want to catch this phenomenon, head outside after midnight on March 13th into
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  March 14th.
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  As the event progresses, the moon will appear high in the sky, making it easy to watch from
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  anywhere with clear weather.
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  Visible planets this week include our usual suspects, minus Saturn, which is now in the
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  sun's glare.
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  You may be able to catch Mercury in the western sky just after sunset.
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  You'll need a clear view of the horizon as it's very low and it sets not long after sunset.
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  Being brightly as the evening star, Venus will be prominent in the western sky after
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  sunset.
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  Right now it's the third brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon.
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  However, as the month progresses, Venus will move closer to the sun and become less visible,
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  eventually transitioning to the morning sky.
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  Jupiter continues dominating the southern sky in the evening.
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  It will be high overhead as darkness falls, setting in the early morning hours.
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  Its brightness makes it easily observable with the naked eye, and good binoculars or
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  a telescope can reveal its four largest moons.
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  Mars is high in the sky in Gemini after sunset.
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  Look for its reddish hue to distinguish it from nearby stars.
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  Today marks the beginning of daylight saving time for many listeners.
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  Clocks will spring forward one hour in many regions, meaning sunset will happen later
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  in the evening.
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  Great news for evening activities, but it does push back our prime star-gazing hours.
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  This shorter observation window means you'll need to wait an extra hour for darker skies
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  to see fainter stars and deep sky objects.
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  The lunar eclipse won't be affected since it's happening in the early morning before
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  daylight interferes.
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  So plan accordingly.
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  If you're used to heading out at 8pm to see the night sky, you may now have to wait until
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  closer to 9pm for the best views.
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  Last week NASA launched an ambitious mission designed to map the entire sky.
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  The Sphere X mission that stands for Spectrophotometer for the History of the Universe, Epic of Reionization,
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  and ISIS Explorer, is a new space telescope designed to conduct an all-sky infrared survey.
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  The goal is to provide astronomers with an unprecedented view of the cosmos.
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  Sphere X was scheduled to be launched last week.
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  At the time of this recording, it hadn't yet gone.
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  But this mission will help answer fundamental questions about the origins of the universe,
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  the formation of galaxies, and the distribution of water and organic molecules in the Milky
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  Way.
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  Unlike traditional space telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope or Hubble,
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  which focus on deep-sky observations of specific targets, Sphere X will systematically scan
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  the entire sky multiple times over its two-year mission.
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  The telescope will capture near-infrared light, allowing it to detect objects obscured by
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  dust, including galaxies, nebula, and regions where new stars are forming.
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  Sphere X will also perform spectroscopy on every part of the sky it observes.
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  This means it will split incoming light into different wavelengths, revealing detailed
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  information about the composition and distance of objects in space.
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  The mission's instrument will collect spectra from more than 450 million galaxies and 100
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  million stars within the Milky Way.
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  One of Sphere X's primary objectives is to explore the earliest moments of cosmic history.
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  Scientists believe that tiny quantum fluctuations during the Big Bang led to the formation of
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  galaxies and large-scale structures in the universe.
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  By mapping these structures across vast cosmic distances, Sphere X will provide insights into
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  how the universe evolved from its infancy to the present day.
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  The epoch of re-ionization marks the period when the first galaxies and stars formed, lighting
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  up the universe after the cosmic dark ages.
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  By analyzing infrared light from ancient galaxies, Sphere X will help astronomers understand when
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  and how this process unfolded, shedding light on one of the most mysterious eras in cosmic
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  history.
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  The program will also play a crucial role in studying the origins of life-related molecules.
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  By mapping water ice and organic compounds in interstellar clouds, the mission will help
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  scientists determine where these essential building blocks of life exist in our galaxy.
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  Understanding their distribution is vital to uncovering how planets, including Earth,
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  formed and whether life might exist elsewhere in the universe.
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  By capturing a 3D map of cosmic evolution, Sphere X will help answer some of astronomy's
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  biggest questions, offering new insights into the birth of galaxies, the origins of water,
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  and the structure of the universe itself.
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  If you found this episode helpful, let me know and feel free to send in your questions and
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  observations.
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  The easiest way to do that is by visiting our website, startrails.show.
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  This is also a great way to share the show with friends.
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  Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the night sky.
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  Clear skies, everyone!