Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Bike Ride Report...From Tom & Louise!


Today we rode our bicycles through the Solar System!
On today’s bike ride on the bike trail next to Bicentennial Boulevard in McAllen we were discussing the solar system. 
 There is a really great scale model of the solar system just south of Nolana on Bicentennial Boulevard. 
 It turns out that the evening sky is reinforcing some of the things we were talking about.  You can see all four of the rocky inner planets this evening in the sky.  Look to the west just above where the setting sun is fading and you will notice Venus first, then as the sky darkens you may be able to see Mars and Mercury in the positions shown on this diagram of the sky. 
The sky is shown for January 21 so on the 21st you will see the Moon next to Venus.  Each night the Moon climbs higher in the sky.  On the 22nd it will be next to Mars and on the 23rd it will be above all the other planets.  Mercury will not be visible for more than a few nights so if you miss it now it will be several months until it reappears in the morning sky.  Mars will be slowly sinking in the sky in the next few weeks and Venus meanwhile is rising higher each evening.
By the way, I mentioned only three planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars.  Look down at your feet and there is Earth!
The commentary below this diagram is from Sky and Telescope Magazine, the source of this information.  There is a link in the message below if you want to read more.

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