Today is an important day for space exploration. Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968), the first human in space and the first to orbit Earth, was launched on April 12, 1961, aboard Vostok 1. The Soviet cosmonaut spent one hour and 48 minutes in space and is reported to have said from space, "The Earth is blue. … How wonderful. It is amazing."
I was a senior in high school then and was jealous that an American was not the first person in space. However, as I learned more about this brave, modest man, I have come to appreciate how truly extraordinary his flight was.
Tragically, Gagarin and his flight instructor, Vladimir Seryogin, died on a training flight in a MiG-15UTI on March 27, 1968. He was 34. Gagarin was highly respected worldwide for his brave accomplishment and for his simple, non-pretentious demeanor.
The last-quarter moon rises at 1:18 a.m. Friday, setting at 12:10 p.m. A last-quarter moon rises near midnight local time and sets near noon local time. It is half-lit, with its lit side being on your left as you face the moon.
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As you look at the moon, lunar north is at its top, and lunar east is to your right. The line between the lit and dark parts of the moon is called the terminator. Mountains and craters along the terminator have long shadows and appear in high-contrast relief because the sun is very low in their sky.
Through a telescope, craters stand out with startling contrast and very long shadows. When the moon is full, there is little shadowing, and it is difficult to see most craters. Take advantage of the dark evening skies for the next few days to enjoy Saturn and Spica rising in the east and Venus and Jupiter setting in the west in the early evening.
If you go
• What: Yuri's Night will celebrate 51st anniversary of manned space flight with hands-on activities for kids and adults.
• When: 5-9 p.m. Friday. The last admission will be sold at 8 p.m.
• Where: Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road.
• Cost: $10; free age 12 and under.
You can Help to map light pollution
The Globe at Night campaign, which started Wednesday and runs through April 20, asks people to help map the world's light pollution. The idea is to research patterns of light pollution, while increasing public awareness of the need to preserve and restore dark skies.
How it works: Go online to www.globeatnight.org/webapp
The Globe at Night website walks you through the steps to measure and record your night-sky brightness by looking at the constellation Leo anytime between 8 and 10 p.m.
It's also possible to "adopt a street" by taking observations every mile for a few miles down a major or semi-major street in the Tucson metro area. Reserve a street at www.globeatnight.org/Tucson, then report your observations.
Light pollution not only threatens our starlight, but can affect energy consumption, wildlife and health, says Connie Walker, the director of the Globe at Night campaign.
Since the campaign started in 2006, people in 115 countries have contributed 76,000 observations, making Globe at Night the most successful light-pollution-awareness campaign to date. The effort had its grass-roots beginning in Tucson a few years earlier.
Contact Tim Hunter at skyspy@azstarnet.com