March 7 – 20, 2016
Mt. Washington — Looking up to the heavens always has its rewards, however, from March 7 through the 10th and again from March 30 – April 8 are ideal times this month and early next month to see the nighttime constellations at their fullest expression and to participate in an international citizen-scientist initiative. These dates surround the new moon – the time of month when the moon is dark.

From the beginning of time, people all around the globe have identified, and passed down through the generations, patterns created by connecting the stars. The patterns, or constellations, are composed of brilliant and dim stars that are visible in dark skies. Only the brightest stars are visible when moonlight casts a haze over the sky; the bright stars come through the haze and outline the constellations and the less bright stars are lost from view. In a natural setting, the appearance of the constellations change; the cycle of stargazing changes with the moon’s cycle. But since the advent of artificial light most locations on Earth where there is human habitation have a more or less constant unnatural haze over the sky, known as light pollution. Just like other forms of pollution, the amount varies significantly from place to place. Like other forms of pollution, negative consequences of living with light pollution have been discovered.
Throughout the year, several days before, during, and after new moon are designated for the study of light pollution levels in Earth’s night skies by Globe at Night, “an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure & submit their night sky brightness observations.”
March’s new moon occurs on the 9th. The moon is absent from the nighttime sky from the 7th through the evening of the 10th, when it appears briefly as a thin, early evening crescent that sets soon after the sun.
Our personal interest in the heavens can lead us to make a small but significant contribution to a state-of-the-sky map of the world. Globe at Night states, “It’s easy to get involved – all you need is computer or smart phone & follow these 5 Simple Steps!”

Briefly, northern hemisphere participants in Globe at Night’s March new moon study will be looking at the constellation Orion the Hunter, visible from nightfall to 11 p.m. Each observer contributes a part to the whole of observations from different locations. In the absence of moonlight, just what affect on the visibility of the stars do streetlights, commercial lighting and every other source of artificial light have?
In addition to naked eye observations, check into the following tools for reporting during all of the 2016 program dates: https://www.globeatnight.org/webapp/; dark sky meter https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dsm-iyl-2015/id626796278?mt=8 and https://lossofthenight.blogspot.de/2015/01/brief-introduction-to-loss-of-night-app.html
Take Note: Spring ahead – Eastern Daylight Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 13, and the spring equinox occurs on Sunday, March 20, at 12:30 a.m.
Resources:
Dark Sky Meter: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dsm-iyl-2015/id626796278?mt=8
https://lossofthenight.blogspot.de/2015/01/brief-introduction-to-loss-of-night-app.html
Berkshire School Observatory clear sky forecasts https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/BrksrSObMAkey.html?1
April is Global Astronomy Month
https://astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2016-programs/program-schedule-2016.html