A brief “chirp” coming from two black holes colliding a billion light years away has astrophysicists abuzz. The reason? It is the verification of an essential feature of Albert Einstein’s 1915 general theory of relativity.
Einstein said that immense changes in matter and energy could cause tiny fluctuations in space and time, expansion or contraction similar to the ripples in a pond if a small pebble were thrown into it. The “chirp” is a result of such ripples or gravitational waves coming from the unimaginable energy of the black hole collisions. Thus, a century after Einstein predicted them, evidence of gravitational waves was found.
“The ‘chirp’ will rank among the great discoveries being compared to [Alexander Graham] Bell’s message, ‘Watson, come here,’ or Sputnik’s first beeps from space. Einstein would be very happy,” says Gabriela Gonzalez, one of the co-discoverers.
Focus on the planets
Mercury rises in the west during the evening hours but will be very difficult to spot. Wait until April for its best evening appearances.
Venus is in the east-southeast about an hour before sunrise as March opens and rises later each day as the once-brilliant “morning star” prepares to slip into the solar glare for the month of April.
Mars rises in the southeast shortly after midnight and will almost double in brightness during March and will outshine bright neighboring star Antares. On March 5, Mars is high in the south an hour before sunrise with Saturn to its lower left. Backyard telescopes should easily pick out the white north polar cap.
Jupiter steals the planetary show in March, rising in the east during the early evening hours and staying in view all night. Jupiter is at its closest for the year and viewers with telescopes will have no problem picking out surface belts and bands while watching the dance of the four major moons about and across the face of the giant planet.
Saturn comes up in the south about an hour after Mars makes its appearance. The ring system is situated for viewing as is the major moon Titan. The real show for the month, however, is watching Mars advance toward Saturn for a close approach late in the month.
Uranus can be spotted low in the southwest as dusk falls but disappears into the evening twilight by mid-month. On March 10, Uranus is due north of the thin crescent moon.
Neptune is a lost cause, lost in the morning twilight during March.
March events
1 Sunrise, 6:14 a.m.; sunset, 5:22 p.m. Last quarter moon, 6:12 p.m.
7 Venus is close to the lower right of the moon at dawn, however, they are so close to the horizon they may be difficult to spot.
8 New moon, 8:55 p.m.
10 Moon at perigee or nearest approach to Earth.
11 The sun enters Pisces on the ecliptic. Jupiter shines halfway up on the eastern horizon around 8 p.m.
13 The second Sunday in March. Time to set your clocks one hour ahead as we change over to daylight saving time for the spring and summer months.
15 Moon in first quarter, 1:04 p.m. The Ides of March, a bad day for Julius Caesar!
16 Saturn is to the immediate left of Mars in the south about an hour before sunrise.
17 St. Patrick’s Day. This is the traditional day to plant peas, according to gardening lore.
20 Spring or vernal equinox, 12:30 a.m. The sun crosses the celestial equator back into the northern hemisphere. The sun enters the astrological sign of Aries at the equinox.
21 Jupiter is just to the upper left of the moon tonight.
23 Full moon, 8:01 a.m. The full moon of March is known as the Worm Moon, Sap Moon or Crow Moon.
25 The Moon is at apogee, or farthest from the Earth.
27 Easter.
31 Sunrise, 6:19 a.m.; sunset. 7:01 p.m. Moon in last quarter, 11:18 a.m.