Map of the area of the Dark Sky Community of Sai Chung International. *Shenzhen Astronomy.
Summer Milky Way before sunrise at Sai Chung Beach. Photo by Liu Jiyin.
The moon rises at the Shenzhen Astronomical Observatory. *Shenzhen Astronomy.
Astronomy enthusiasts under the starry Milky Way in Dapeng South Australia. Photo by Zhou Sheng.
With the arrival of March, the summer Milky Way is about to shine in the night sky. The reporter learned from the Shenzhen Astronomical Observatory that with the rise of the Milky Way in summer, many spectacular celestial phenomena will be observed in the Xichong Community of Nanao Office, Dapeng New District, Shenzhen, and astronomy and photography enthusiasts can go to take pictures.
Xichong Community is the first international dark sky community in China, and it is a community sample of urban dark night protection in the world, and has been praised as a "lighthouse-like demonstration". In the future, Dapeng New Area will gradually build a starry sky park, create a "one-hour starry sky galaxy circle in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area", and build an international dark sky community Shenzhen model.
Shooting time The Milky Way rises from east to southeast in the early hours of summer.
From March 2024, the summer Milky Way will rise from east to southeast at 2 to 3 a.m. to begin the filming season. Fans who love to shoot the Milky Way in summer can find an open camera position from east to southeast to keep warm, and start shooting the Milky Way in the early morning. Due to the fact that it rises in the second half of the night and the influence of the moonset time, it is recommended that enthusiasts go to Xichong International Dark Sky Community or Nanao in Dapeng New Area from March 9 to 22 to observe and take pictures.
It is understood that the Xichong International Dark Night Community is planning night astronomical observation activities, which are planned to be launched in the near future. The event will provide enthusiasts with accurate dark night community astronomical observation guides and weather forecasts, as well as photographing the starry Milky Way under the guidance of professionals. For specific information, please pay attention to "Shenzhen Astronomy", "Shenzhen Astronomical Society" and "Xichong International Dark Night Community".
Meanwhile, in March, Comet 12p Pons-Brooks moved from Andromeda to Aries, and was visible low near west-northwest from late evening to late night. It is expected to be about 5 to 6 magnitude bright, and it is difficult to see with the naked eye, so it can be observed and photographed with a small astronomical telescope.
Important celestial phenomena Stars with the Moon, the lunar surface X, and Mercury's eastern elongation will appear.
Important celestial phenomena in March include Venus and Mars with the Moon, and Jupiter, Uranus, and the Pleiades with the Moon. At around 6 a.m. on March 8, looking low east-southeast, you can see Mars and Venus next to a waning moon. After sunset on the 13th and 15th, the crescent moon was located low in the western sky and passed near Jupiter, Uranus, and the Pleiades over a three-day period.
Among them, on the evening of the 14th, Uranus is about 3° away from the Moon, which is a good opportunity to find Uranus through the Moon. During the day on the 15th, the moon was only more than 1° away from the Pleiades (which will not be visible to China at that time). Beginning in the evening, the Moon is about 4° away from the Pleiades. The width of a fist extending one arm is 10°, and 4° is about the width of three fingers at the distance of an arm.
While observing the Moon, the first quarter of March is a good time to observe the "Moon X". "Wernerx" or "Lunarx" is not visible every time the moon is on the first quarter of the moon, as it lasts only about 1 hour, so the opportunity is rare. On March 17, 2024, at 22:23, the lunar surface x emerged, and the longitude and latitude coordinates of the geographical datum point of the lunar surface x were 09°e、25.3°s, the remaining longitude of the lunar surface is 358°, and the best observation time is one hour before and after the forecast time.
March is also a rare time to observe Mercury's greatest eastern elongation. Since Mercury is always too close to the Sun, we rarely have the opportunity to witness its glow. Mercury has three major eastern elongations this year, with the 25th of this month being the first time. It is also the best condition. At sunset, Mercury is in the northwest sky, with a horizon altitude of nearly 18° and a magnitude of about -02nd class, excellent viewing conditions, don't miss this opportunity to look for Mercury, which will sink below the horizon at 7 p.m. The western sky is lively at this time, with Jupiter, Uranus, and the brightening 12p Pons-Brooks comet also nearby.
The right time and place Mobile phones with telephoto lenses can also take framed photos of celestial objects.
In recent years, many people have used various astronomy and photography software or apps (such as "Qiaoshi") to find the timing of the observatory and a certain celestial object in the same frame, so as to determine the shooting position for "scientific photography", in fact, as long as it is in the right weather, at the right time and in the right place, such a blockbuster can be taken.
If you want to photograph the Moon in the same frame as the Observatory, because the position and time of the moon's rise are different every day, here is an example of the three days when the moon is close to the full moon in March, all of which are conveniently accessible in the Xichong community. More precise location and time need to be determined by the photographer through the app, and the Shenzhen Astronomical Observatory has also released a three-dimensional image of the observatory on the app. The threshold for photography such as celestial frame photos is low, and the shooting equipment does not need to be very professional, and mobile phones with telephoto lenses can be recorded, so there is no need to worry about giving up this "coincidence" moment without professional equipment, even if you appreciate it with the naked eye, it will feel very magical.
At the same time, in the early morning of mid-March, the Scorpio palette, lagoon nebula, trilobal nebula and the observatory also entered the shooting time, and the shooting positions of this kind of astrophotography are basically fixed, all at the intersection of Heya Road and Xinhai Road in Xichong. However, this type of photography of deep-sky objects involves more specialized equipment and requires the use of telephoto lenses (telescopes), cameras, and the necessary equatorial mounts for long periods of time**.
Link. The spring constellation is here.
On March nights, the planets and constellations also come alive. Jupiter is visible in the western sky after sunset and submerges into the north-west horizon around 10 p.m. Venus and Mars can be seen in low altitude near south-east before sunrise. Saturn is not visible in the first half of the moon, and appears low in the east before sunrise in the second half.
The spring constellations Leo, Shepherd, and Ursa Major have fully risen, the Virgo constellation is located on the southeastern horizon, and most of the constellation Hydra has risen, with the north and south meridians as the "divide", and the spring triangle is opposite to the winter triangle. At this time, Jupiter is still brighter than all stars, and it is the brightest star of the day. You can refer to the star chart to find your zodiac sign. In winter, the Milky Way also begins to set in the west, and in the south of our country, looking at the southern horizon, the huge sailing ship composed of the stern seat, the sail seat and the base of the ship is leaping from the horizon, which is very spectacular.
Written by: Nandu reporter Chen Xinghua.
*All post-processed.