Starry Heavens Newsletter
March 2017
Although Valentine’s Day is past, we hope you were able to take part in the Hokulani Imaginarium Star-Crossed Lovers Show with Krissie Kellogg, where she weaved the tales of love, lust, and betrayal that abound in the constellations. And of course, our guests were treated to long-stemmed roses and chocolates. If you missed it this year, put it on your calendar for next year.
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SPRING BEGINS
with the spring equinox on Monday, March 20, 2017, at exactly12:29 A.M. HST. Astronomically speaking, the equinox marks spring’s beginning in the Northern Hemisphere (however, it announces fall’s arrival in the Southern Hemisphere). The equinox happens at the same moment worldwide, even if our clock times reflect a different time zone.
WHAT IS AN EQUINOX?
At the Vernal Equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator on its way north along the ecliptic. All over the world, days and nights are approximately equal. The name
equinox comes from two Latin words which mean “equal night”—
aequus (equal) and
nox (night). On the equinox, Earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the Sun’s rays about equally because the tilt of the Earth is zero relative to the Sun, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun. (Note, however, that the Earth never orbits upright, but is always tilted on its axis by about 23.5 degrees.)
In the past, people were more connected to the Sun than we are today. They observed its pathway across the sky; tracked how the sunrise, sunset, and day-length changed, using the Sun (and Moon) as a clock and calendar. If you ever go to Stonehenge or Machu Picchu, you will see examples of
ancient seasonal markers. Several Imaginarium shows highlight the way our ancestors connected to the sun and the sky. For example,
Ancient Skies explores the possibilities that the construction of mankind's oldest monuments were intimately connected to celestial cycles.
Magic Treehouse Space Mission is a fun-filled journey to discover the secrets of the Sun, Moon, planets, space travel and more.
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March 29, 2017 – Mars, Moon and Mercury
Stargazers may want to look at the western sky just after sunset on March 29 to see a celestial triangle formed by the crescent moon with Mercury to its lower right and Mars above the pair. This event is worth watching because the triangle formation aids in our ability to catch a glimpse of the seldom seen Mercury, the planet closest to the sun. Normally Mercury is very hard to spot since it is usually lost in the glare of the sun. But on March 29, it will be at its most distant point from the sun and will be at its brightest and highest in the sky as seen from earth making it easier to see.
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Reservations Suggested
Due to limited seating of 84 attendees in the Imaginarium, we recommend making reservations for our programs. Call (808) 235-7433 between 8:30am - 3:30pm, Monday - Friday. Reservation phone line is not available on weekends or holidays.
Our admission prices are:
- $7 General admission
- $6 WCC students, military, seniors (65 years or older), with ID
- $5 Children (ages 4-12 years)
- Free for children under 4 years of age (1 per paying adult), and WCC faculty or staff with university ID
CASH & CHECK ONLY. An ATM is located on campus behind the Imaginarium building next to The Hub coffee shop outside the library.
Please pick up and pay for reserved tickets at the Imaginarium Box Office at least 15 minutes prior to showtime. Unclaimed tickets may be sold to waiting customers on a first come, first served basis.
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As always, we welcome your feedback or questions, feel free to phone (808) 235-7350 or email to dineene@hawaii.edu. If you would like information regarding our
Adopt-a-Show sponsorship program please
click here.
Dineene O'Connor
Manager, Hōkūlani Imaginarium
Windward Community College
Hale ‘Imiloa 135A
Office (808) 235-7350
