Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - March 2021

— Continued from previous page
Sunday, March 28th
The Full Moon rises over the Caribbean tonight. That places it directly opposite the
Sun in the sky. In two days (March 30th) the Moon will be at perigee or at its closest
orbital point to Earth. It will appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter. Add
the optical or Moon illusion when the Moon appears very large at the horizon and it
could be an interesting scene for a Full Moon party.
Sunday, April 4th
Today is the last or third quarter Moon. Early this morning the Moon will begin to
lead Saturn and Jupiter across the sky. This is a good time to view another segment
of the Apennine Mountains that overlook the Sea of Rains. The Sun’s rays are hitting
the Moon at a 90-degree angle. The side lighting reveals some dimension of the
mountains and craters along the terminator line.
Tuesday, April 6th
A close approach between the Moon and Saturn can be seen in the predawn sky.
Tomorrow the Moon will rise about 50 minutes later. The Moon’s daily procession
eastward will place it close to Jupiter.
Monday, April 12th
The Moon has joined Mercury and Venus as it passes close to the Sun. The New
Moon will be lost in the Sun’s glare for a few days.
Wednesday, April 14th and Thursday, April 15th
The Moon has shifted its position away from the Sun. At 1900 hours on the 14th
the Moon is located south (or left) of Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. Tomorrow at this
time the Moon will be north and west of Aldebaran.
April 14th is the beginning of the Lyrids meteor shower. Although the peak won’t
be for a few days, there could be up to 90 meteors radiating out of the northeast from
this variable shower.
If knowing the correct time in some European countries is important to you, take
note: European Summer Time takes effect on March 28th. This change may or may
not be the last time it happens for the EU. The European Parliament has postponed
the end of the seasonal time change. At 0100 UTC clocks are turned forward one
hour. Time to rely on the Sun and your circadian rhythm?
*All times are given as Atlantic Standard Time (AST) unless otherwise noted. The
times are based on a viewing position in Grenada and may vary by only a few minutes
in different Caribbean locations.
Jim Ulik sails on S/V Merengue.
Image 2: The path of comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) on its way towards the Sun.
In the News
Does anybody really know what time it is (I don’t)?
Does anybody really care (care about time)?
— Robert Lamm, Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
Image 3: Side lighting enhances mountains and craters during First
and Third Quarter phases.
Image 4: Comet 10P/Tempel can be found low in the eastern sky at 0530
hours throughout this period.
JIM ULIK
MARCH 2021 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 29
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