UMass Amherst Sunwheel and Sky Watching Events to Mark the Spring Equinox on Saturday, March 20
March 15, 2010
| Contact: | Janet Lathrop 413/545-0444 |
AMHERST, Mass. – The public is invited to witness the sunrise and sunset associated with the vernal equinox among the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel on Saturday, March 20 at 6:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. This year’s Sunwheel events not only mark the astronomical change of seasons when length of day and night are approximately equal, but the Sunwheel’s 13th year. Rain cancels the event.
At the gathering, UMass Amherst astronomer Judith Young will give one-hour presentations that include information on the seasonal positions of the Earth, Sun and Moon, the significance of the solstices and equinoxes, the phases of the Moon, building the Sunwheel, and discussion of other calendar sites such as Stonehenge in England and Chichen Itza in Mexico. Young will also explain the Moon’s 18.6-year cycle known as the Major Lunar Standstill and answer questions about astronomical signs of the seasons.
The instant of the spring equinox is 1:32 p.m. on March 20. Young says the vernal extremes of moonrise and moonset, which can be marked using the stones, this year are not as great as they were in 2005 and 2006 near the peak of the Moon’s 18.6-year lunar standstill cycle. The southernmost position of the Moon occurs on April 4, while the northernmost first quarter of the Moon near the 2010 spring equinox occurs over the night of March 22-23.
Young has prepared a podcast to be aired on March 20 titled, “March Equinox— International Unity Day,” available at: http://www.365daysofastronomy.org/calendar/
Teachers can earn certificates of participation for attending seasonal gatherings at the Sunwheel. Details available at: www.astro.umass.edu/~young/pdp.html
The UMass Amherst Sunwheel is located south of McGuirk Alumni Stadium, just off Rocky Hill Road (Amity St.) about one-quarter mile south of University Drive. Visitors to the Sunwheel should be prepared for freezing temperatures and wet footing. Rain cancels the events. A $3 donation is requested to help with the cost of the additional site work and future events.
For the full 2010 calendar of Sunwheel events see:
http://www.umass.edu/sunwheel/pages/gatherings.html
More information on moon phases is available at: www.umass.edu/sunwheel/pages/moonwatch.html and www.umass.edu/sunwheel/pages/moonteaching.html
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