The Sky This Week for March 30 to April 2

Sirus shines magnitude -1.5, a “young Moon,” and other bright things to look for in the sky this week.
By Richard Talcott

Thursday, March 30

The waxing crescent Moon climbs significantly higher in the evening sky with each passing day, and tonight it serves as a guide to ruddy Mars. The planet stands about 7° (approximately one binocular field) to the Moon’s lower right. The pair appears nearly 20° high in the west once twilight fades to darkness and doesn’t set until after 10 p.m. local daylight time. The Red Planet shines at magnitude 1.5 among the background stars of Aries the Ram.

The Moon reaches perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth, at 8:32 a.m. EDT. It then lies 226,088 miles (363,853 kilometers) away from us.

Friday, March 31

This evening, the waxing Moon sits on the western edge of the Hyades star cluster in Taurus the Bull. The 20-percent-lit crescent lies below and a little to the right of 1st-magnitude Aldebaran, the orange sun that marks the upper left corner of the V-shaped Hyades. In reality, however, the star is a foreground object that only appears along the same line of sight as the cluster.

Saturday, April 1

Mercury reaches greatest elongation at 6 a.m. EDT, and tonight marks the peak of its best evening apparition of 2017. The innermost planet lies 19° east of the Sun and stands 9° high in the western sky 45 minutes after sunset. It shines at magnitude –0.2 and shows up easily against the darkening sky. If you can’t spy Mercury right away, sweep the area with binoculars. A view of the inner world through a telescope reveals an 8″-diameter disk that appears 39 percent lit.

Sunday, April 2

After passing between the Sun and Earth just eight days ago, Venus already appears conspicuous in the predawn sky. It rises an hour before the Sun and climbs 6° above the eastern horizon 30 minutes later. The planet shines so brightly, at magnitude –4.2, that it shows up easily in the brightening twilight. A telescope will deliver spectacular views of the inner world’s 57″-diameter disk, which appears just 3 percent lit.

 

Source

Astronomy Magazine

 

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Thursday, March 30

 

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 121.78° ESE
Sun Altitude: 40.33°
Sun Distance: 92.850 million mi
Next Solstice: Jun 20, 2017 11:24 pm (Summer)
Sunrise Today: 6:42 am↑ 84° East
Sunset Today: 7:15 pm↑ 276° West

 

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 90.02° E
Moon Altitude: 18.39°
Moon Distance: 226094 mi
Next Full Moon: Apr 11, 20171:08 am
Next New Moon: Apr 26, 20177:16 am
Next Moonset: Today10:23 pm
Current Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent
Illumination: 8.9%

Source

timeanddate.com

The Cauldron Chant

We form the Circle,
The Circle most round.
We form the Chalice,
The Chalice now found.

We call the Goddess,
to meet the great need.
We call the God,
To plant His fertile seed.

We call the quarters,
which we call four.
We summon the powers,
that contain the force.

We stir the Cauldron,
from which we were born.
We call the Gods,
from whom we were torn.

We say the words,
which lead us round.
We pass the kiss,
with our lovers found.

We face our dreams,
in nights psychic flight.
We face our hopes,
in bright moon of the night.

We face our fears,
on the Dark Lords Horn.
We face our failure,
in the Mothers new planted corn.

We live our lives,
druming and dancing on the meadow.
We confront our Death,
in the dancing moon light shadow.

Our paths run quickly,
on fleet foot and wing.
Our Circle is joyous,
with our Queens and our Kings.

Let our little Circle be happy,
with Bell, Bowl or Bow.
And form now this Circle,
with gracious Love, Joy and Hope.

—Ammond ShadowCraft

Originally published on Pagan Library