On this date in 1781, British astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus. It was the first new planet discovered since ancient times.
On one fateful March 13th, 244 years ago, he was looking for faint stars and ended up unearthing a planet. It was also the first planet to be discovered by telescope.
It is the third largest planet in our solar system and about four times wider than Earth. Uranus has 28 known moons and it also rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets.
If you have a telescope, you can see it this month during what astronomers are calling the planet parade.
According to the weather network, only four members of the 'parade' are visible to the naked eye, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury. However, if you have a telescope, you can also find the planets Uranus and Neptune in line with the others.
Also this month is a lunar eclipse. The full eclipse starts just before midnight on March 13 on the west coast. When the earth is positioned between the moon and sun, the earth's shadow falls on the surface of the moon, dimming it. Sometimes this can make the moon look red.
Speaking of the moon, has anyone noticed how late Easter is this year? The date of Easter is determined by calculating the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. The date of Easter can fall between March 22 and April 25. This year it is on April 20, almost as late as it possibly can be.
I don’t mind though. The kids won’t be trampling through snow during an outdoor Easter egg hunt and it should be warmer for possibly outdoor family gatherings.
It also means the long weekend isn’t attached to the end of Spring Break. I much prefer to have the kids home for shorter periods of time spaced out. I know that isn’t the popular opinion, but it gives them more mini breaks when they need it.
It is also something fun to look forward to.
