Stargazing for Beginners - March
visible. The Dipper asterism is only one piece of it, however. Its true name is Ursa Major, and if you look at the pattern of the stars on a good planisphere or a star chart, you can see all the stars that contribute to its shape and name: The Great Bear. If you find the two stars that make up the end of the bowl of the Big Dipper, and look down from them, you will find the Little Dipper, or Ursa Minor, which contains the pole star, Polaris. The stars in the northern sky seem to revolve around Polaris, and if you have ever seen any pictures of star trails, you can actually see the circles of rotation the stars make.
The Moon is full this month on March 6, at 6:14 p.m. EST. This month's moon is called the Full Worm Moon. Watch the full moon over the next few months as it drops in the sky, until it reaches its lowest point in June.
March nights are usually a bit warmer than winter nights, and you don't have to worry about staying warm as you look for the planets and constellations. See if you can balance an egg on its end on the Spring Equinox, and try a Messier Marathon.
Watch the skies!
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