Space and Astronomy

The Planets and Special Events

The Lyrid Meteor Shower peaks in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday April 22. The Moon sets at 1:34 a.m. and should improve viewing.

A Public Star Party with telescopes provided by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society and the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers will take place on the front lawn of the Griffith Observatory from 2 p.m. until 9:45 pm on Saturday April 21..

Venus (Mag -3.9) is in the western sky at susnset.

Jupiter (Mag -2.4) rises in the East around 10:00 p.m.

Mars (Mag -0.0) Rises in the east-southeastjust after Saturn around 1:00 a.m.

Saturn (Mag +0.5) rises in the east-southeast around 1:00 a.m.

Reprinted with permission, the information above is made available in the Griffith Observer , a monthly publication by the Griffith Observatory. For complete information on the Planets and other items related to Astronomy, please visit the Griffith Observatory Web Site.

The theory that our Sun is the center of the universe and our planets revolve around it was first documented by Nicolas Copernicus. The interesting thing is that Copernicus was a Catholic Priest and Philosopher, not an Astronomer. But he believed that God would have made the movements of the planets more simple than the previously documented theory (which was very complex). As we know today, Corpernicus was right !

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