Mag. 7-ish Borneo quake but no tsunami
No spots but solar wind is racing free
Likely auroras in the far north
NYC blizzard, see what readiness is worth?
Then my take on March..
Rebuff to TDS* racist fool
Family w/ rebel flag as their tool
And, I can refute but can't fix stupid
Today On Earth
March 2026
On & Off Earth
While February begins to cast off the winter darkness, March is when our nearby star really steps up and shines. Flipping the clocks back an hour at 2am on the 8th, shifting that hour of light from morning to evening, to Daylight-Saving Time, to me, is the annual signal that winter is mostly done and the long, luxurious days of summer are coming. It may cut into my twilight/moonlight walks but I’m OK with that, they’re only really safe in the winter.
That only leaves me, and you, a week of a bright, waxing gibbous moon leading up to the Full Worm moon on the 3rd. That Worm moon will duck into Earth’s shadow for a Total Lunar Eclipse but the timing is not good for us. The partial eclipse begins at 3:43am, is total from 6:04 to 7:03 and ends after sunrise, and below the western horizon. You’ll need a good view of the western sky and an alarm set.
Venus, technically, back as the Evening Star, is still tucked almost behind the sun and very low in the west, half an hour after sunset. With good eyes and a good view it will be near but far outshine Saturn on the 8th. Venus will climb higher and dazzle in April. Jupiter still outshines all the bright winter stars after dark, high in the southeast. Our orbit shifts the sun’s background stars from Aquarius to Pisces on the 13th. Our orbit and tilt also combine to move the sun back directly over the equator at 10:46am EDT on the 20th for the Spring Equinox.
Last month was the Snow moon, this month, the Worm moon; both are well named. I recently spotted a flock of robins enjoying a worm feast in the field behind my woods. My bird feeders have been well visited this winter, nice to see numbers dropping off with other feeding options now available. Our animal neighbors have had a tough winter but spring is coming, thoughts of new life and love are in the air. That 'spring is coming' smell; love-struck skunks not watching for traffic, be alert!!
Almost as reliable as the daily changes in the weather, any cold spell, especially an extended chill like we just suffered through, brings out the naysayers, silent during weeks of summer heat, to rail against the reality that our planet is warming. But, that cold spell, actually foreshadowed back in November, was weather, what’s happening in the air today. The gradual rise in global temperatures, new records set most of the last 25+ years, is climate. With CO2 levels in Earth’s atmosphere higher than any time in the last 800K years, the warming will continue throughout this century, driving the wild, extreme weather events that are today’s news.
After being trapped for weeks in the cold and glacial ice this winter, I am eager to get outside onto our planet; itself, ready to burst into green and bloom. Since retirement, I have added to my near home wanders, taking advantage of a few of the wide range of classes and activities offered by Louisa Parks and Recreation. Thousands of residents and visitors are doing likewise.
We all need to encourage our representatives to use a portion of the massive pile of promised money flooding our county, ‘data’ center taxes, to upgrade and expand all of our Parks and Recreation facilities. With our land and roadways crowded and besieged by our new ‘data’ neighbors, we all need more ways to escape the bedlam, to unwind, to maintain our mental and physical health. The Betty Queen Center and pool, the charming, historic Henson building all offer refuge from our crowded, busy world but all need work. Show us the money!!
Today On Earth
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