What's happening in the night sky in spring?
Spring is shaping up to be a great time for skygazers with the opportunity to see aurora, meteor showers and both a lunar and solar eclipse this year. So keep your fingers crossed for clear skies throughout March, April and May.
When does spring officially start?
For meteorologists spring starts on 1 March but for astronomers the beginning of the season is based around the spring equinox which takes place on 20 March this year. The equinox is the point where the Earth is midway in its orbit between the closest and most distant points from the Sun. It can change as the Earth does not take an exact length of time on its journey around the Sun.
Eyes to the skies
Spring TriangleSome of the best seasonal patterns of stars can be spotted towards the south of the sky. According to Anna Gammon-Ross, an Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, "the three brightest stars that can be seen at this time of the year make up a small triangle in the sky."Each of the three stars is part of a separate constellation, and if you're trying to identify them, Anna Gammon-Ross explains: "Look out for a star that is part of Leo the Lion, a constellation that looks a little bit like a mouse. Another in Virgo that looks like a square with wobbly arms and legs.And the final star, is part of the constellation called Botez, recognised as a hunter or herdsman." Lunar eclipse A lunar eclipse occurs during a full Moon, when the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow causing the Moon to darken. This will be on 14 March.The Americas will have the best chance of viewing this total lunar eclipse as it will take place during their overnight period and will only be visible in dark skies. Parts of the UK, away from the south-east, could notice some changes to the Moon's appearance as it starts to set in the early hours of the morning.
Partial solar eclipse If you're in the Northern Hemisphere you'll have a chance of seeing this partial eclipse taking place on 29 March. There won't be complete darkness but the moon is going to pass in front of our view of the Sun covering around a third of it.In the UK, this event will start at around 10:00 GMT reaching its maximum coverage at around 11:00 GMT. It will be over by midday.Lyrids Meteor shower The Lyrids peak on 22 April but will be visible on the nights either side of this date.Anna Gammon-Ross from the Royal Observatory Greenwich says: "Meteor showers are visible all over the world and on the peak nights of the Lyrids you can expect to see up to 100 meteors per hour."AuroraWith the sun at peak activity, it's likely there will be more sightings of aurora this year.
Will it be cloudy or clear?
Clear skies after dark will always provide the best chance to see what's going on in the night sky. If you're planning on catching these celestial events, check the local forecast, sunrise and sunset times on the BBC weather website or on our app.
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an hour ago
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Charles pays tribute to ‘resilience' of Antarctic research scientists
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