Sky and NOW: the main news from 6 to 12 March

Sky and NOW

March is preparing to be another month full of news brought by Sky and NOW. Between TV series and films, the schedule will expand considerably, leaving viewers glued to the screen. Let's find out together the main new titles that will be available from 6 to 12 March 2022.



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Sunday 6 March

ROY GRACE'S INVESTIGATIONS

Serial adaptation of Peter James' bestsellers, Roy Grace's investigations is a British crime starring the famous detective played by John Simm (Life on Mars, Collateral). We are in Brighton: Roy is in crisis over the unexplained disappearance of his wife Sandy, but decides to react by supporting colleague Glenn Branson (Liar's Richie Campbell) in solving a mysterious case.

OK SO

A bittersweet journey through three generations in a film with Matilde Gioli and Silvia D'Amico. Over the span of 15 years, the relationships between the characters of a family show how love with a capital a belongs to a precise moment in life in which everything is aligned and that, at times, causal actions set in motion unexpected consequences.

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Sky Shorts: Marvel at the sight of International Space Station

The International Space Station's operation will continue until 2030, but will not be extended. The ISS cannot be repaired.

A few weeks ago, NASA announced that operations for the International Space Station will be extended until 2030. But the ISS is aging and cannot be repaired or replaced.

As early as 2031, the ISS could meet a fiery demise, as it de-orbits through Earth’s atmosphere. Its final resting place will be a location in the Pacific Ocean, called Point Nemo. Point Nemo is the farthest location in the ocean from any land mass. It is often referred to as the “Spacecraft Graveyard.”

It is incredible to think that for two decades we have had astronauts living and working in space.

Operating the ISS are partnering countries including the United States, Canada, Japan, several European countries and Russia. The ISS orbits about 220 miles above Earth, traveling at 17,227 mph and orbits Earth every 90 minutes. The first module was launched in 1998, and construction required 42 separate launches. The ISS has been continuously occupied since Nov. 2, 2000.

Two-hundred astronauts have been aboard the ISS conducting countless experiments, working together to improve life for everyone on Earth. Another 100 astronauts will visit the station for the next eight years. The ISS is the length of a football field, or you could compare it to a six-bedroom house.

If you have never seen the ISS pass overhead in the night sky, now is the time to enjoy. Often, guests at the planetarium will ask what to look for.

First, the ISS is the third brightest object in the sky and looks like a bright star. Sunlight reflecting off the enormous solar panel wings cause it to be a brilliant object. Also, the ISS moves in a steady, straight line and does not blink, like an airplane. NASA has a great tool for learning when to watch, at www.spotthestation.nasa.gov. You can sign up to receive alerts, via email or text message, that let you know when the ISS will be visible.

When you receive an alert, it will contain information on what direction the ISS will first appear and where it will fade away. So, practice direction orientation at home to be prepared. Remember the sun sets in the west, so you can figure out the other direction points from there. A lot of ISS passes will start and finish between the main direction points, such as southwest to northeast. Next the height of where the station appears is given in degrees, along with the maximum height that it will reach. Ninety degrees is overhead, so you can estimate the height. Another way is to make a fist. Your fist represents 10 degrees in the sky. Extend your arm straight, be steady and line your fist up to the horizon. Now stack your other fist on top and that will be 20 degrees. Continue to alternate your fist until you reach the desired height. So, head outside form the next ISS pass in our area and marvel at the sight!

Story continues

Night Sky for March

A view of the night sky on March 28.

Planets and the Moon – Venus continues to be the dazzling highlight in the morning sky and is now joined by Mars, Saturn and harder to spot, Mercury. On March 1, Venus rises more than two hours before the Sun and Mars rises within the half hour of Venus, and the pair will stand five degrees apart in the southeast. Over the month, brilliant Venus will dim slightly while amber Mars brightens. On March 15, the pair will be at their closest, less than four degrees apart. Venus reaches greatest western elongation on March 20, and can be found 47 degrees west of the Sun. On March 24-25, Venus, Mars and Saturn form an elegant triangle one hour before sunrise. The best show of the month occurs on March 28, when the crescent Moon joins Venus, Mars and Saturn. On March 31, Venus and Mars are six degrees apart with Saturn located between them. Mercury remains visible in early March and just south of Saturn on March 2. Mercury disappears and Saturn climbs higher. Jupiter reappears in the morning sky at the end of the month, two degrees high in the east, 30 minutes before sunrise. Uranus is the only planet visible in the evening sky in a dim region of Aries, the Ram. An easy way to find Uranus, with binoculars, is to draw a line between Hamal, the brightest star in Aries and Menkar, the brightest star in Cetus. Uranus lies midway between these two stars. The crescent Moon will be just southwest of Uranus on March 6. Neptune is not visible in March.

Remember to spring your clocks ahead for daylight savings time on March 13; and the vernal equinox, or first day of spring, begins at 11:33 a.m. March 20.

Constellations

Southwest – Orion, the Hunter, continues to march westward through March. Look for the three stars in a line, which make up the belt of Orion. The bright red-orange star up and to the left of the belt is Betelgeuse. The bright blue-white star down and to the right of the belt is Rigel. Draw a line up from the belt to a red, orange star, Aldebaran, which is the eye of Taurus, the Bull. The sideways V shape is the face of Taurus. Above Taurus, the small cluster of stars is the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Making a counterclockwise loop from the Pleiades, the next bright star is Capella. Continuing down, the two stars you see are Gemini, the Twins.

North – The Big Dipper is swinging higher in the sky. Following the two stars at the end of the cup to the next bright star, is Polaris, or the North Star. The constellation Cassiopeia is to the left of Polaris and resembles a sideways letter ‘M”.

East – Head back to the cup of the Big Dipper. Locate the flat part of the cup. Look to the right for the shape of a backwards question mark. This is the head of Leo, the Lion. Towards the end of March, arc off the handle of the Big Dipper to the bright yellow, orange star Arcturus.

Binocular highlights – Facing west, you will see the small cluster of stars, the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters. The Pleiades is a beautiful open star cluster. Head to Orion, the hunter. Scan below the three stars of Orion’s belt. You will see fuzzy area with bright stars. This is the Orion Nebula, a hydrogen gas cloud where new stars are forming. For a challenge, scan between Leo and Gemini. There you will find the Beehive Star Cluster.

For further night sky details, maps and audio, visit my website www.starrytrails.com.

Visit Hoover Price Planetarium

Visit www.mckinleymuseum.org, for show dates and times. Planetarium shows are free with museum admission. Seating is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The planetarium is located inside the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, in Canton. For more information, call the museum at 330-455-7043.

Suzie Dills

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Sky Shorts: Marvel at the sight of International Space Station