March 2022 Stargazing Guide
Video opens with a swirling galaxy and then Mr. Orbax appears in the center of the screen
-[Orbax]: Greetings junior scientists, scientists and citizens of this great big weird, wild and wonderful world in which we live.
-[Orbax]: As always I am your humble science communicator the Great Orbax coming to you here from the Department of Physics at the University of Guelph
A heading appears that reads “THE GREAT ORBAX SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR, DEPT OF PHYSICS UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH”
-[Orbax]: with the March 2022 Star Gazing Guide!
Text that reads, “MARCH 2022 STAR GAZING GUIDE” appears in large glowing purple letters
-[Orbax]: This month we finally make it to the first day of spring! We'll talk about the vernal equinox and also a NASA mission which could result with Canadian astronauts living on the moon!
Orbax disappears then reappears with a purple and blue galaxy background
-[Orbax]: But first let's take some time... to look up.
Orbax points up and disappears
-[Orbax]: As spring approaches we have some new constellations becoming prominent in the night sky.
Orbax is in the middle of the screen talking with a black night sky background
-[Orbax]: Ursa Major, which we discussed in February, remains visible as does Bootes, which we discussed in January.
To the left of Orbax, the Ursa Major constellation appears with a bear image overtop of it and then it disappears and then the BOOTES constellation appears with a man image overtop of it
-[Orbax]: Joining us in March are clear views of Leo, Cancer, Virgo and Hydra! In modern astronomy we recognize 88 constellations of which Hydra is the largest followed by Virgo and then Ursa Major.
As Orbax says “Leo, Cancer, Virgo and Hydra” an image of the constellations appear along with the text underneath the images
-[Orbax]: Hydra, the twisted serpent, creeps its way into the night sky rising in the southeast around sunset.
A large image of the constellation appears with a snake overtop of it, the video shows all parts of the snakes body on the constellation
-[Orbax]: Planets in the solar system are most visible in the mornings this month with Mars and Venus being your best bets in the southeast sky around 6 am.
Orbax is in the middle of the screen talking with a background of the black night sky with stars in the sky. As he says, “Mars and Venus”, an image of Mars and Venus show up as if they are in his palms
-[Orbax]: As a matter of fact our friend Saturn returns in March and if you're lucky later in the month you should be able to see all three of them close together within the same field of view. They might be so close together that you should use binoculars to discern the different planets.
Orbax moves to the bottom left of the screen and the background is an image of Saturn, Venus, and Mars in space together
-[Orbax]: Over the last week of March, Saturn moves steadily closer towards Mars but more on that next month.
Orbax goes back to talking in the middle with the background as a black night sky with stars in the sky
-[Orbax]: The full moon this month is the last full moon of winter and takes place on March 18th.
Orbax is talking on the left side of the screen while the background is a video of the moon rotating. As Orbax says “March 18th” the caption “MAR 18” pops up in the top right side of the screen
-[Orbax]: It's known as the worm moon. The Mi’kMaw call the March full moon the maple sugar moon
The background shows images of maple syrup buckets on trees in the winter
-[Orbax]: while the Ojibwe people of the great lakes region also know it as the hard crust on the snow moon.
The background is a video of trees covered in snow
-[Orbax]: The Cree referred to it as the eagle moon because the end of winter also marks the return of the eagle to our northern skies.
The background is a video of an eagle flying
-[Orbax]: This month we'll see the first day of spring and here's why!
Background is a video of purple and blue flowers moving in the wind.
-[Orbax]: We all remember that the Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees with respect to the line perpendicular to the plane of our orbit around the sun.
Background changes to a video of the earth rotating on an tilted axis
-[Orbax]: One earth year corresponds to one full solar orbit. In December we talked about the winter solstice, the one day each year that the north pole is tilted its furthest distance away from the sun resulting in the fewest daylight hours for us here in North America
Background is a video of the earth rotating around the sun
-[Orbax]: Conversely the summer solstice is the one day each year when the north poles tip closest towards the sun resulting in the most daylight hours that we experience.
Background video is of the earth still rotating around the sun
-[Orbax]: On Sunday March 20th is the vernal equinox.
As Orbax says “March 20th” the text “MAR 20” pops up in bold white letters, and as he says “vernal equinox” the text “VERNAL EQUINOX” pops up in bold white letters
-[Orbax]: On this day, halfway between the winter and the summer solstice, we experience equal amounts of daylight and nighttime hours and in North America this denotes the first day of spring.
Background is image of the earth rotating around the sun and it shows the earth in three different positions around the sun, and labeled them “JUNE SOLSTICE” “VERNAL EQUINOX” and “DECEMBER SOLSTICE”
-[Orbax]: This phenomenon occurs again in six months when we've traveled 180 degrees through our orbit around the sun. We call this the autumnal equinox which this year occurs on September 22nd denoting the first day of autumn.
The earth moves its 180degrees around the sun and is labeled the “AUTUMNAL EQUINOX”
-[Orbax]: At 02:56 Greenwich Mean Time on July 21 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to ever step foot on the moon.
The background is footage of men walking on the moon
-[Orbax]: Since then a total of 12 people have walked on the moon but the last time an astronaut boot touched lunar soil was 1972. Now, 50 years later, NASA is sending astronauts back as part of the Artemis program.
The footage of the men walking on the moon continues to play in the background. As Orbax says “Artemis program” the Artemis logo appears
-[Orbax]: Scheduled a launch in a few short weeks is the first phase of the Artemis program. NASA's new space launch system mega rocket will deploy the uncrewed Orion spacecraft and venture thousands of kilometers beyond the moon on a three-week mission.
Footage of a spaceship launching
-[Orbax]: Orion will stay in space longer than any spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts ever has!
Video of the spacecraft soaring through space
-[Orbax]: In the second phase of the Artemis project planned for 2024, a Canadian astronaut will join others aboard the Orion spacecraft as they set a record for the farthest human travel beyond the far side of the moon.
Footage of the spacecraft flying through space
-[Orbax]: Finally, in the third phase, the first woman and the first person of color in history will walk on the moon!
Virtual reality footage of a black woman walking on the moon and picking up moon dirt
-[Orbax]: The Artemis program will not only bring us these first but it'll also lay the groundwork for an orbiting science station known as the Gateway that will act as a staging point for human and robotic lunar missions.
360 Video of the Artemis
-[Orbax]: The ultimate goal is to build an Artemis base camp on the surface of the moon where astronauts can live and work for up to two months at a time.
Virtual footage of astronauts working on the moon
-[Orbax]: While studying and exploring the surface of the moon is an achievement in its own right, scientists hope that by establishing a successful lunar colony we'll be able to learn everything we need to know about building a successful Martian colony.
Virtual footage of Astronauts walking on the moon
-[Orbax]: Wow, when I was a junior scientist these ideas were things that I used to read about in comic books and science fiction novels and now only a few decades later they've become a reality thanks to the hard work, creativity and imagination of scientists around the world! To celebrate the Artemis program the Canadian Space Agency is planning events across the country in the coming months including some moon observing nights. For more information ask the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada centre nearest you.
Orbax goes back to talking in the middle of the screen with a green and orange cloud like background behind him
-[Orbax]: Thanks for listening junior scientists and don’t forget to have a science-tastic day
Orbax gives and thumbs up and wink and disappears
-[Orbax]: Special thanks to Royal City Science's own planetary geochemist Dr. Glynis Perrett for her help preparing our Star Gazing Guide.
Image of a women smiling appears with the caption “Dr. Glynis Perrett, Planetary Geochemist” pops up on the bottom right of the screen
-[Orbax]: We'd also like to thank the SkyView app and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
The words “SkyView Explore the Universe” pop up in the middle of the screen and then the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s logo
-[Orbax]: Greetings junior scientists, scientists and citizens of this great big weird, wild and wonderful world in which we live.
-[Orbax]: As always I am your humble science communicator the Great Orbax coming to you here from the Department of Physics at the University of Guelph
A heading appears that reads “THE GREAT ORBAX SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR, DEPT OF PHYSICS UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH”
-[Orbax]: with the March 2022 Star Gazing Guide!
Text that reads, “MARCH 2022 STAR GAZING GUIDE” appears in large glowing purple letters
-[Orbax]: This month we finally make it to the first day of spring! We'll talk about the vernal equinox and also a NASA mission which could result with Canadian astronauts living on the moon!
Orbax disappears then reappears with a purple and blue galaxy background
-[Orbax]: But first let's take some time... to look up.
Orbax points up and disappears
-[Orbax]: As spring approaches we have some new constellations becoming prominent in the night sky.
Orbax is in the middle of the screen talking with a black night sky background
-[Orbax]: Ursa Major, which we discussed in February, remains visible as does Bootes, which we discussed in January.
To the left of Orbax, the Ursa Major constellation appears with a bear image overtop of it and then it disappears and then the BOOTES constellation appears with a man image overtop of it
-[Orbax]: Joining us in March are clear views of Leo, Cancer, Virgo and Hydra! In modern astronomy we recognize 88 constellations of which Hydra is the largest followed by Virgo and then Ursa Major.
As Orbax says “Leo, Cancer, Virgo and Hydra” an image of the constellations appear along with the text underneath the images
-[Orbax]: Hydra, the twisted serpent, creeps its way into the night sky rising in the southeast around sunset.
A large image of the constellation appears with a snake overtop of it, the video shows all parts of the snakes body on the constellation
-[Orbax]: Planets in the solar system are most visible in the mornings this month with Mars and Venus being your best bets in the southeast sky around 6 am.
Orbax is in the middle of the screen talking with a background of the black night sky with stars in the sky. As he says, “Mars and Venus”, an image of Mars and Venus show up as if they are in his palms
-[Orbax]: As a matter of fact our friend Saturn returns in March and if you're lucky later in the month you should be able to see all three of them close together within the same field of view. They might be so close together that you should use binoculars to discern the different planets.
Orbax moves to the bottom left of the screen and the background is an image of Saturn, Venus, and Mars in space together
-[Orbax]: Over the last week of March, Saturn moves steadily closer towards Mars but more on that next month.
Orbax goes back to talking in the middle with the background as a black night sky with stars in the sky
-[Orbax]: The full moon this month is the last full moon of winter and takes place on March 18th.
Orbax is talking on the left side of the screen while the background is a video of the moon rotating. As Orbax says “March 18th” the caption “MAR 18” pops up in the top right side of the screen
-[Orbax]: It's known as the worm moon. The Mi’kMaw call the March full moon the maple sugar moon
The background shows images of maple syrup buckets on trees in the winter
-[Orbax]: while the Ojibwe people of the great lakes region also know it as the hard crust on the snow moon.
The background is a video of trees covered in snow
-[Orbax]: The Cree referred to it as the eagle moon because the end of winter also marks the return of the eagle to our northern skies.
The background is a video of an eagle flying
-[Orbax]: This month we'll see the first day of spring and here's why!
Background is a video of purple and blue flowers moving in the wind.
-[Orbax]: We all remember that the Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees with respect to the line perpendicular to the plane of our orbit around the sun.
Background changes to a video of the earth rotating on an tilted axis
-[Orbax]: One earth year corresponds to one full solar orbit. In December we talked about the winter solstice, the one day each year that the north pole is tilted its furthest distance away from the sun resulting in the fewest daylight hours for us here in North America
Background is a video of the earth rotating around the sun
-[Orbax]: Conversely the summer solstice is the one day each year when the north poles tip closest towards the sun resulting in the most daylight hours that we experience.
Background video is of the earth still rotating around the sun
-[Orbax]: On Sunday March 20th is the vernal equinox.
As Orbax says “March 20th” the text “MAR 20” pops up in bold white letters, and as he says “vernal equinox” the text “VERNAL EQUINOX” pops up in bold white letters
-[Orbax]: On this day, halfway between the winter and the summer solstice, we experience equal amounts of daylight and nighttime hours and in North America this denotes the first day of spring.
Background is image of the earth rotating around the sun and it shows the earth in three different positions around the sun, and labeled them “JUNE SOLSTICE” “VERNAL EQUINOX” and “DECEMBER SOLSTICE”
-[Orbax]: This phenomenon occurs again in six months when we've traveled 180 degrees through our orbit around the sun. We call this the autumnal equinox which this year occurs on September 22nd denoting the first day of autumn.
The earth moves its 180degrees around the sun and is labeled the “AUTUMNAL EQUINOX”
-[Orbax]: At 02:56 Greenwich Mean Time on July 21 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to ever step foot on the moon.
The background is footage of men walking on the moon
-[Orbax]: Since then a total of 12 people have walked on the moon but the last time an astronaut boot touched lunar soil was 1972. Now, 50 years later, NASA is sending astronauts back as part of the Artemis program.
The footage of the men walking on the moon continues to play in the background. As Orbax says “Artemis program” the Artemis logo appears
-[Orbax]: Scheduled a launch in a few short weeks is the first phase of the Artemis program. NASA's new space launch system mega rocket will deploy the uncrewed Orion spacecraft and venture thousands of kilometers beyond the moon on a three-week mission.
Footage of a spaceship launching
-[Orbax]: Orion will stay in space longer than any spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts ever has!
Video of the spacecraft soaring through space
-[Orbax]: In the second phase of the Artemis project planned for 2024, a Canadian astronaut will join others aboard the Orion spacecraft as they set a record for the farthest human travel beyond the far side of the moon.
Footage of the spacecraft flying through space
-[Orbax]: Finally, in the third phase, the first woman and the first person of color in history will walk on the moon!
Virtual reality footage of a black woman walking on the moon and picking up moon dirt
-[Orbax]: The Artemis program will not only bring us these first but it'll also lay the groundwork for an orbiting science station known as the Gateway that will act as a staging point for human and robotic lunar missions.
360 Video of the Artemis
-[Orbax]: The ultimate goal is to build an Artemis base camp on the surface of the moon where astronauts can live and work for up to two months at a time.
Virtual footage of astronauts working on the moon
-[Orbax]: While studying and exploring the surface of the moon is an achievement in its own right, scientists hope that by establishing a successful lunar colony we'll be able to learn everything we need to know about building a successful Martian colony.
Virtual footage of Astronauts walking on the moon
-[Orbax]: Wow, when I was a junior scientist these ideas were things that I used to read about in comic books and science fiction novels and now only a few decades later they've become a reality thanks to the hard work, creativity and imagination of scientists around the world! To celebrate the Artemis program the Canadian Space Agency is planning events across the country in the coming months including some moon observing nights. For more information ask the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada centre nearest you.
Orbax goes back to talking in the middle of the screen with a green and orange cloud like background behind him
-[Orbax]: Thanks for listening junior scientists and don’t forget to have a science-tastic day
Orbax gives and thumbs up and wink and disappears
-[Orbax]: Special thanks to Royal City Science's own planetary geochemist Dr. Glynis Perrett for her help preparing our Star Gazing Guide.
Image of a women smiling appears with the caption “Dr. Glynis Perrett, Planetary Geochemist” pops up on the bottom right of the screen
-[Orbax]: We'd also like to thank the SkyView app and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
The words “SkyView Explore the Universe” pop up in the middle of the screen and then the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s logo