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March 15, 2026Radio: Today’s Episode
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Leo Triplet
Some rowdy galactic triplets
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Radio: Yesterday’s Episode
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Pi Day
A day to celebrate “pi”
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Stargazing
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Leo Triplet
A three-way tug-of-war is playing out in the constellation Leo, which is in the east at nightfall. Three galaxies there are tugging at one another, producing spectacular results. The galaxies are M65, M66, and NGC 3628, known as the Leo Triplet.
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The Compass
Pyxis, the celestial compass, is quite low in the southeast at nightfall. It is a short streak of faint stars that aims toward the remnants of the Argo, the ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts.
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Adhara
To the eye, the brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, which is in the south at nightfall. If we could see ultraviolet light, however, the brightest star would be Adhara, a little below Sirius. It’s quite hot, so it emits much of its light in the ultraviolet.
Moon Phases
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing Earth is illuminated (position 1 in illustration). In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later (3). At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight (5).
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Star Teachers
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Stars and Galaxies
Galaxies contain billions of stars. Do galaxies collide? Do the stars within them collide?
