About the Dome The Morrison Planetarium is the largest all-digital dome in the world with a 75-foot diameter projection screen tilted at a 30 degree angle. Thanks to immersive video technology, the dome seems to disappear when imagery is projected onto it, creating an experience more like flying than watching a movie. The planetarium relies on scientific data to depict current discoveries with unprecedented accuracy. It also has the flexibility to present a wide variety of programming that is both educational and entertaining. Traditional star shows will be supplemented by live “tours of the Universe,” and programming will include live NASA feeds as well as broadcasts from Academy scientists in the field.

Planetarium Shows LIFE: A COSMIC STORY How did life on Earth begin? This tantalizing question forms the basis of the second all-digital planetarium show produced by the Academy for the Morrison Planetarium’s 75-foot diameter dome. WINNER of the “Best Fulldome Program” category at the 2011 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival! Learn more On Sunday, February 5 (Quarterly Free Sunday) and Saturday, February 18, the Planetarium show will be Tour of the Universe, offered every half-hour, with the last show of the day 30 minutes before museum closing time. No show at 1:00 pm. For President’s Day, Monday, February 20, Life: A Cosmic Story will be shown every 45 minutes, starting at 10:30 am. The bonus featurette, Alien Worlds, will also be available in Hohfeld Hall every 45 minutes, starting at 10:40 am. The Planetarium will be closed for maintenance on Monday & Tuesday, March 5 & 6, 2012.  Showings of Life: A Cosmic Story will resume on Wednesday, March 7. Showtimes for LIFE: A COSMIC STORY Monday - Friday: Every hour on the half-hour, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm. Saturday & Sunday: Every 45 minutes, 10:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please note that this schedule is subject to change due to exhibit closures or special events. Through June 8, 2012: All 10:30 am shows Monday through Friday are reserved for school groups, arranged in advance. * Please note: The Planetarium is very popular and tickets are handed out on a first come first serve basis due to limited seating. Visit the cart at the planetarium theater to pick up a show pass. In addition, please remember that shows may not be appropriate for kids 6 and under, and that children 3 and under are not permitted. BONUS PRESENTATION! On Sundays & Museum Free Days catch Alien Worlds in Hohfeld Hall, the Planetarium’s preshow area. Inspired by our main Planetarium presentation, Life: A Cosmic Story, this live, 10-minute featurette explores environments within our own solar system that scientists think might provide the most likely places for life to exist beyond Earth. Find out what Mars looks like up close, what it was like to land on Saturn’s moon, Titan, and more! Shows at 10:40, 11:25, 12:10, 12:55, 1:40, 2:25, 3:10, 3:55, & 4:40 in Hohfeld Hall. No passes required. Enter from the Lab Junior side of the Planetarium dome. All ages welcome. Space limited.

Watch the Life Trailer

 

Skywatcher’s Guide (January-March 2012)

	Sunrise	Local Noon	Sunset
January 1	7:25 a.m. PST	12:13 p.m. PST	5:01 p.m. PST
February1	7:14 a.m. PST	12:23 p.m. PST	5:33 p.m. PST
March 1	6:40 a.m. PST	12:22 p.m. PST	6:04 p.m. PST

(Times are for San Francisco, CA, and will vary slightly for other locations.)

January 3

Peak of the annual Quadrantid meteor shower just before midnight on the 3rd and into the predawn hours of the 4th. Usually averaging about 40 meteors per hour (and perhaps as many as 80 per hour from dark locations), this display is one of the better showers of the year, although the light of a waxing gibbous Moon will interfere until the Moon sets at about 3 am, leaving roughly 3-1/2 hours of dark viewing time until morning twilight.

Earth at perihelion, or closest to the Sun, at a distance of 91,402,046 miles — not what you'd expect if the seasons depended on our planet's distance from the Sun, which they don't. The seasons are caused by the way Earth's axial tilt affects the amount of solar radiation received per unit area at various latitudes.

January 8

Full Moon for the Pacific Time Zone. For time zones east of the Pacific, this occurs after midnight and therefore on January 9, which may be reflected in some calendars. Native American names given to the Full Moon of January include the "Wolf Moon" (Algonquin), the "Moon of Frost in the Teepee" (Lakota Sioux), and the "Hunger Moon" (Osage).

January 16

Moon at third, or last, quarter, having completed the third quarter of its orbit around Earth and about to start the last, if we consider New Moon to be the start of each cycle of phases.

January 22

New Moon for the Pacific Time Zone. Again, the exact moment of new Moon — just before midnight on the West Coast — crosses midnight and changes the date when converted for other time zones, so some calendars will say this occurs on the 23rd. Sighting of the first thin crescent after new on the evening of the 24th marks the start of the month Rabi-al-Awwal in the Moon-based Islamic calendar. Also, the Chinese New Year is usually marked by the second new Moon after the winter solstice, followed by two weeks of celebration that end with the Lantern Festival on next full Moon. According to Chinese tradition, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon.

January 30

Moon at first quarter. This is the best time to observe the long, prominent shadows of mountains and craters on the Moon's surface with binoculars or a telescope. Look for it due south at sunset, right next to Jupiter.

February 7

Full Moon rises at sunset, entering the stars of Leo the Lion. Traditional Native American names for February's full Moon include the "Snow Moon" (Algonquin), the "Moon of the Raccoon" (Dakotah Sioux), the "Wind Moon" (San Ildefonso), and the "Black Bear Moon" (Kutenai & Tlingit).

February 14

Last quarter Moon rises around 2 am against the stars of Scorpius the Scorpion, near the bright star Antares.

February 21

New Moon. Sighting of the first crescent after new marks the start of the month Rabi-al-Thani in the Islamic calendar. For most of North America, this will be possible after sunset on the 22nd.

February 29

Leap Day — an extra day added to February because Earth's orbit around the Sun is actually 365.25 days, and if nothing were done to correct the calendar, it would gradually fall out of sync with the Sun by a day every four years.

Moon at first quarter for all U.S. time zones

March 8

Full Moon. March's full Moon was called the "Moon of Snow-Blindness" by the Sioux, the "Deer Moon" by the Natchez, and the "Lizard Moon" by the San Juan.

March 11

On the second Sunday in March, most clocks in the U.S. are adjusted ahead one hour at 2:00 am. For convenience, set your clocks forward at bedtime on the night of Saturday the 10th, so at least you won't have to go through the trouble of getting up at 2:00 am to lose an hour of sleep. This marks the start of Daylight Time, which is observed in most of the U.S. for 65% of the year.

March 14

Moon at last quarter, rising at about 10 pm against the stars of Cancer the Crab.

March 19

Spring Equinox, at 10:13 pm PDT, marking the start of Spring for the Pacific & Mountain Time Zones, whereas some calendars may say that it occurs after midnight and therefore on the 20th for the Central & Eastern Time Zones. . or first day of Spring, for the Northern Hemisphere. On this date, Earth's axis of rotation is perpendicular with respect to the Sun's rays — tilted neither toward nor away — so both hemispheres receive the same amount of solar radiation. The Sun rises due east and sets due west, and day and night are theoretically of equal length.

March 22

New Moon. Sighting of the first visible crescent after new starts the month Jumada-al-Oola in the Moon-based Islamic calendar. This will be possible on the evening of the 23rd.

March 30

First quarter Moon in Gemini, due south at sunset.

The Planets

Mercury

The littlest planet — and the closest one to the Sun — is a morning object in January, visible low in the southeast before dawn. Retreating into the twilight, it reaches superior conjunction on February 7, when it's hidden behind the Sun. It emerges in the evening sky and can be seen in the west just after sunset by late February. Its evening appearance doesn't last long, however, and it sinks back down into the glow of the Sun in mid-March, reaching inferior conjunction on March 21. By the end of March, it's almost ready to emerge into the predawn sky again. The Moon may be helpful in finding Mercury in the sky as it passes nearby on the morning of January 22 and the evening of February 22. Their encounter on March 22 is too close to the Sun to be seen.

Venus

The sight of the brightest planet shining brilliantly in the west after sunset is hard to miss, and it's highlighted by a spectacular conjunction with second-brightest Jupiter in mid-March. Venus' approach toward Jupiter will be easy to observe, and the two planets will be closest-together on March 13, when they're separated by only 3 degrees of arc, or an angular distance about 6 times as wide as the Full Moon. The Moon makes very pretty pairings with Venus on the evenings of January 25 & 26, February 25, and March 26.

Mars

Rising slightly earlier from one night to the next, the Red Planet rises just before midnight at the beginning of January, and by February, it's rising around 9 pm. By the beginning of March, it's rising by 6 pm, reaching opposition on March 3, when it's biggest and brightest. All season, it lingers against the stars of Leo the Lion, and careful skywatchers keeping track of its exact position against the stars may notice that it halts its eastward movement against them and starts "retrograding" — or moving westward against the stars — on January 24. The Moon passes nearby on the nights of January 12 & 13, February 9, and March 7.

Jupiter

An evening object visible high in the south just after sunset in January and moving to the southwest in February and March, Jupiter highlights its appearance this season with a close encounter with Venus, putting the brightest and second-brightest planets only 3 degrees apart on March 13. Watch for a week leading up to and after that date, to really appreciate this pairing. The Moon passes near Jupiter on the evenings of January 29, February 26, & March 25, the latter two with Venus also nearby.

Saturn

As it approaches its April opposition, when it rises at sunset, the ringed planet rises around 2 am at the beginning of January and approximately 4 minutes earlier each subsequent night. It rises around midnight in February and around 10 pm in March, loitering against the stars of Virgo the Maiden, near that constellation's brightest star, Spica. The Moon swings by on the mornings of January 16 & February 13, and on the night of March 10.

Winter Notes

On January 11, 1787, Wiliam Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, the two largest moons of the planet Uranus, which he also discovered in 1781. When he first observed Uranus, Herschel recognized that its appearance — unlike that of a star — wasn't that of a sharp point, but he thought at first that it might be a comet. Subsequent observations by other astronomers as well as Herschel himself confirmed that its near-circular orbit made the object more likely a planet than a comet. Uranus is in the sky just after sunset, though at its great distance, it's borderline-visible to the unaided eye from very dark locations. On January 11, it is located almost exactly halfway between Venus and Jupiter, against the western stars of Pisces the Fishes. On February 9, Venus will have moved to within a third of a degree from Uranus. On March 4, Mercury is 2-1/2 degrees from Uranus. Using these brighter planets as guides, observers may be able to spot the seventh planet through a pair of binoculars or, better yet, through a medium size telescope.

On February 12, 1947, the Sikhote-Alin meteorite fell over Russia, the largest meteorite fall witnessed in recorded history. The main body of the meteorite exploded in the atmosphere, raining some 70 tons of extraterrestrial iron onto a small area about 270 miles northeast of Vladivostok. Many small fragments from the Sikhote-Alin fall are still available from meteorite vendors. The 4-6 "shooting stars" commonly seen per hour on a dark, clear night rarely result in recoverable falls, most of them being caused by particles too small to survive the fiery fall through the atmosphere.

February 20 is the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's flight into space in 1962, which made him the first American to orbit Earth.

Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, then 24 years old. At the time, it was called a "planet," and until 2006 was celebrated as the only planet discovered in the 20th Century and the only planet discovered by an American. Since then, Pluto has been reclassified by the International Astronomical Union as a "dwarf planet," one of five in our solar system, including the object was once called the largest asteroid, Ceres, as well as three other objects beyond Pluto — Eris, Haumea, and Makemake. Pluto was officially named on March 24, 1930, its name having been proposed by then-11 year old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England, after the Roman god of the underworld beating out other suggestions which included Cronus, Minerva, Atlas, Zymal, Artemis, Perseus, Vulcan, Tantalus, Idana, Osiris, Bacchus, Apollo, Erebus, Zeus, Constance, and Lowell. To date, Pluto has four known moons: Charon, Nix, Hydra, and the most recently-discovered and temporarily-named "P4."

So was Pluto named after the Disney character of the same name, or was it the other way around? The solar system object was discovered in 1930, several months before the orange Disney mutt first appeared, and in his first arguable appearance, he's an unnamed bloodhound Later that year, in his first named appearance, he is introduced as Minnie Mouse's dog, Rover. When he next appears in the following year, he's referred to then and thereafter as Mickey Mouse's dog Pluto. Although the actual reason the character was named what it was has never been officially verified, it seems quite clear that Pluto the (former) Planet preceded Pluto the Pup.

The GLOBE at Night campaign is an international citizen science project that allows members of the public to measure their local light pollution level by counting stars within a familiar constellation. The dates in 2012 during which volunteers can participate are January 14-23, February 12-21, March 13-22, and April 11-20. For information, visit www.globeatnight.org.

The following asteroids are among those that make their closest approach to Earth this season, though none are anything to worry about. None are Near-Earth Objects that pose any risk of collision. The number preceding each name indicates the order of discovery, and identifying clues are in parentheses. The following were chosen for their pop-culture significance, but many other asteroids are named after scientists as well.

3153 (Abraham) Lincoln, 5020 (Isaac) Asimov, 3895 (Amelia) Earheart, 588 (mythical figure) Achilles, 4147 (Beatle John) Lennon, 1772 (cosmonaut Yuri) Gagarin, 16626 Thumper (fictional rabbit character in Felix Salten's "Bambi"), 12413 (ice skater) Johnnyweir, 25924 (humorist) Douglasadams, 30444 Shemp (of the "Three Stooges"), 5049 Sherlock (Holmes), 9007 James Bond (007, get it?), 15131 (actor) Alanalda, 19383 (rock group) Rolling Stones, 2579 Spartacus, 4923 (writer Arthur C.) Clarke, 309028 (Thomas) Jefferson, 3623 (Charles) Chaplin, 13070 Seanconnery (aka "James Bond"), 12561 (movie director Ron) Howard, 85386 (NFL running back Walter) Payton, 39566 (Olympic sprinter) Carllewis, 5102 (U.S. Founding Father) Benfranklin, 12410 (Disney character) Donald Duck, 1640 (Jules Verne character Captain) Nemo, 3917 (composer) Franz Schubert, 4511 (Dutch artist) Rembrandt, 41488 ("Arabian Nights" character) Sinbad.

- BQ

Mercury The speediest planet makes a quick appearance after sunset this quarter, lagging behind the setting Sun a little more each day, making it visible for slightly longer from one night to the next. In early November, it has rendezvous with Venus low in the southwest that may be best observed through binoculars. Later in the month, a few days after a clustering with Venus and the bright star Antares, Mercury seems to reverse gears and zip back into the Sun’s glare. Passing inferior conjunction on December 4, it emerges into the predawn sky by the end of the month. The crescent Moon passes by on the evenings of October 27 and November 26 and the morning of December 22.

Venus The brightest planet begins a long, slow climb into the evening sky, rising out of the Sun’s glow in October, racing through the stars of Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Capricornus. However, because of the shallow angle of the planets’ path across the sky with respect to the horizon, Venus remains low and easily washed from view by the Sun’s glow. It’s easier to see by the end of November, teasing observers with a brief glimpse after sunset, then setting soon afterward. By December, it will have climbed out of the twilight enough to be visible for more than an hour after sunset. From November 1st through the 13th, can you see Mercury and Venus only two degrees apart, low in the southwest after sunset? The waxing crescent Moon passes nearby on the evenings of October 27 (though lost in the Sun’s glare), November 26, and December 26 & 27.

Mars Progressing slowly from the stars of Cancer the Crab into those of Leo the Lion, the Red Planet is a morning object for most of the season, rising by 11:30 p.m. at the end of the year. It passes through the Beehive Star Cluster in Cancer on October 1 – a fine sight in binoculars or telescope. Look for Mars near the Moon on the morning of October 21, November 19, and December 17.

Jupiter Rising shortly after sunset at the beginning of October and reaching opposition on the 28th, the largest planet is the planetary highlight of the season, visible all night long in November and nearly all night long in December. Jupiter is a slow-moving planet, lingering against the stars of Aries and just crossing the border into Pisces at the end of the year. Look for the Moon as it passes nearby on October 12, November 8 & 9, and December 5 & 6.

Saturn In conjunction on October 13 and washed from view by the Sun’s glare, Saturn begins to peek out of the morning twilight by the end of October, when it rises about an hour before dawn near the bright star Spica in Virgo the Maiden. Gradually rising earlier and seen for a longer period each morning before sunrise, Saturn lies due south and high above the horizon at dawn by the end of December. The Moon’s monthly encounter with Saturn on October 26 is too close to the Sun and lost in the glare, but the two make a pretty trio with the star Spica on the mornings of November 22 and December 19 & 20.