The sun continues its northward trek, crossing the equator and entering the Northern Hemisphere on March 19, the spring equinox. As it sets in the direction of Komohana — West, or the “entering” side of our circular Hawaiian star compass — and the sky darkens, Kekaomakali‘i (the Bailer of Makali‘i) appears and pours its contents out and into the horizon.
This celestial canoe bailer is formed by Hokulei (Capella) in the northwest; Nanamua and Nanahope (Castor and Pollux) in the twin stars of Gemini; Puana (Procyon) in Canis Minor; ‘A‘a (Sirius) in Canis Major; and Keali‘ikonaikalewa (Canopus).
Dominant in the middle of the Bailer are the three stars in the constellation Kaheiheionakeiki (Orion’s Belt); Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitak comprise an equatorial asterism (pattern of stars) tracing an east-to-west line across the celestial equator.
Another prominent asterism that can be traced in the western evening sky is the Winter Hexagon, also known as the Winter Circle. It is formed by drawing lines between Puanakau, Rigel in Orion; Kapuahi, Aldebaran in Taurus; Hokulei, Capella in Auriga; Nanamua and Nanahope, Castor and Pollux in Gemini; Puana, Procyon in Canis Minor; and ‘A‘a, Sirius in Canis Major.
Sirius and Procyon are also part of the smaller Winter Triangle asterism when joined with Kauluakoko, Betelgeuse in Orion. A band of Kai‘a, the Milky Way, runs through the center of this asterism.
The Winter Hexagon comprises some of the brightest stars in the night sky. Sirius is the brightest star followed by Capella, Rigel and Procyon, the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-brightest stars. Aldebaran, Pollux and Castor are catalogued as the 14th-, 17th- and 24th-brightest stars. As the Winter Hexagon sets, the eastern sky begins to fill with next month’s Star Family, Kaiwikuamo‘o, The Backbone, which will take us from the North Star through the Southern Cross.
Special events
On March 9 the phase of the full moon will line up with a special position in the moon’s orbit, creating what is commonly known as a supermoon.
The moon’s orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle. As such, there is a point in the moon’s orbit where it is at its closest position to Earth, and this point is called perigee. Many observers claim that this is when the moon appears to be bigger in the sky, hence the term supermoon.
When the moon is at perigee, it is only about 225,700 miles away from Earth. Alternatively, when the moon is at apogee, its farthest position from Earth, it is 254,900 miles away.
March 19 marks the vernal or spring equinox, when the sun will be rising exactly east and setting exactly west. This day is celebrated as the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Observers might notice that the days are getting longer as we leave the winter season behind; the term equinox acknowledges this observation as our daylight and nighttime hours are becoming more equal.
Over the course of the past few months, a particular star has been grabbing the attention of astronomers. The bright red giant star Betelgeuse, Kauluakoko, in the constellation of Orion, Kaheiheionakeiki, typically stands out in the evening sky. The intriguing observation is that since December, Betelgeuse has been steadily getting fainter in the sky. At first, astronomers were not fazed as it is known to be a variable star and its brightness will tend to vary over time; instead, the star has continued to get fainter and fainter. Could this famous star be nearing the end of its life? If so, we can expect a supernova from this star. However, astronomers are still uncertain and the research goes on.
Observing all 5 visible planets in March
While there are eight planets in the solar system (and a number of dwarf planets), we can observe only five of the eight planets in the sky with our naked eyes. Uranus and Neptune are both so far away that they are incredibly faint and thus can be observed only with a powerful pair of binoculars or a telescope.
Throughout March, observers who monitor both the evening and morning skies will be able to view all of the five visible planets.
The incredibly bright planet Venus will continue to dominate the early evening sky. It is the third- brightest object that can be seen in the sky, after the sun and the full moon. As the sun sets, Venus will be the first object to appear in the western sky due to its brightness; it is often referred to as the “evening star.” Observers looking at Venus through a pair of binoculars or a telescope will also note that the planet will not appear to be a full circle. As Venus is closer to the sun than the Earth, we are able to see Venus go through phases — similar to the phases of the moon. Venus will clearly stand out in the early evening until it sets at just around 9 p.m.
Throughout March, morning observers will get a unique view of the other four visible planets just before sunrise. The first of the planets to rise is Mars. This distinctive red planet will be about 35 degrees above the southeastern horizon as the sun rises in the early morning. However, over the course of the month, Mars will be moving against the background of the stars. On March 20, Mars will be less than 1 degree away from Jupiter, and on March 31, Mars will be less than 1 degree away from Saturn; such occurrences are known as conjunctions.
Following Mars, the two largest planets of the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will also be in our early morning skies. Jupiter will stand out as it is one of the brightest objects we can see with our naked eyes. It will move against the background of the stars more slowly as it is much farther away than Mars. Jupiter will only traverse about 30 degrees of the sky over the course of one year. While Jupiter’s brightness will cause it to stand out, the famously ringed planet, Saturn, will be much fainter as it lines up with Mars and Jupiter throughout the month.
While Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are aligned higher up in the morning sky, the fifth visible planet, Mercury, will be much more difficult to observe. The best morning to view Mercury will be on March 23 when the planet is at its farthest position from the sun, a position called its greatest western elongation (when an inferior planet is visible before sunrise). On this morning Mercury will rise at 5:11 a.m. and be visible above the eastern horizon until the sun rises.
MALAKI (MARCH) SKIES AT 8 P.M. by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
Chad Kalepa Baybayan (Kalepa.Baybayan@hawaii.edu) serves as navigator-in-residence and Emily Peavy (Emily.Peavy@hawaii.edu) as planetarium technician support facilitator at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, a center for informal science education at the University of Hawaii at Hilo showcasing astronomy and Hawaiian culture as parallel journeys of human exploration.
