AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - In a sure sign that better weather is on the way, UMass-Amherst is celebrating the spring equinox with a pair of events at the Sunwheel on campus.
The public is invited to view the sunrise and sunset on Tuesday. The hour-long events at 6:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. mark the astronomical change of seasons when days and nights are nearly equal in length in the Northern Hemisphere.
UMass astronomer Stephen Schneider will discuss the astronomical cause of the sun’s changing position as well as the seasonal positions of the sun, moon, and Earth.
If the skies are clear during the evening session, a telescope will be set up to observe the crescent moon as well as Venus and Mercury after sunset.
The Sunwheel is located south of the football stadium.
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