The night sky in March will feature several remarkable celestial events, including the conjunction of Venus and Saturn on March 9, the zodiacal light visible around the time of the vernal equinox, and the close approach of the Moon to the Pleiades star cluster on March 23. Taipei Astronomical Museum noted that each of these phenomena has its own distinctive characteristics and is well worth observing on clear nights.The conjunction of Venus and Saturn will occur at 6:11 a.m. on Monday, March 9, when the two bright planets will appear within approximately one degree of each other. However, at that specific time, both planets will not yet have risen. Observers are therefore advised to look toward the low western horizon at dusk on the same day or the preceding evening. As twilight gradually fades, Venus, shining at magnitude –3.9, and Saturn, at magnitude 1.0, will be visible to the naked eye in close proximity. Binoculars will provide a clearer view.The important solar term “Vernal Equinox” will take place at 10:46 p.m. on Friday, March 20. On this day, the Sun shines directly over Earth’s equator, and day and night are nearly equal in length worldwide. During the weeks before and after the equinox, observers in areas free from light pollution may have the opportunity to see the zodiacal light in the western sky approximately two to three hours after sunset. It appears as a faint, whitish, triangular glow extending upward from the horizon, with a base up to about 40 degrees wide and reaching heights of nearly 70 degrees. The zodiacal light is caused by sunlight scattering off interplanetary dust distributed along the plane of the ecliptic. In spring, the angle between the ecliptic and the horizon is relatively steep, creating more favorable viewing conditions. This period is therefore one of the best times of the year to observe the zodiacal light.On Monday, March 23, from nightfall until around 9:00 p.m., the Moon will appear in close proximity—within about one degree—to the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus in the western sky. The fifth-day waxing crescent Moon will not completely outshine the Pleiades, which shines at approximately magnitude 1.6. Instead, the pairing will create a particularly beautiful celestial scene featuring one of the most striking and easily visible star clusters. The use of binoculars is recommended to better observe the tightly grouped stars within the cluster.The Taipei Astronomical Museum reminds the public to choose locations with open views and minimal light pollution when observing these celestial events. In particular, mountainous areas away from urban lighting are recommended for viewing the zodiacal light. For more information about astronomical events in March, please visit the website of Taipei Astronomical Museum.
Nobita and his friends heard Suneo boast about how moving the starry sky he saw in Hawaii was. Nobita, who had never seen a starry sky, felt dejected and asked Doraemon for help. Doraemon took out a secret gadget called the "Travel Projector," which allows people to experience the feeling of traveling while indoors, and projected the Hawaiian starry sky into Nobita's room. Doraemon told that since ancient times, people have looked up at the stars, thought about them, and created various "models of the universe" in an attempt to understand the universe.To see what the universe truly looks like, Nobita and his friends enter the "Celestial Globe," which perfectly reproduces the real universe through miniature replication. They embark on a journey through space aboard a spaceship. However, they get too close to a black hole and face the danger of being pulled in! Will Nobita and his friends be able to return to Earth safely!? Screening Date: July 2, 114 to June 30, 115Duration: about 36 minutes
A second golden age of space has quietly dawned on us, with new hope for humanity as a spacefaring species. In the quest to make human spaceflight accessible within in a decade, not a century, and ultimately affordable to ordinary citizens, leading innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and daredevils are locked in a race into the unknown. From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, launching rockets without fuel to building the Lunar Gateway to deep space, history is in the making as we speak.