
NASA April Skywatching Tips, Baseballs, and a Butterfly
Last Updated on April 4, 2023 by Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller
Here are a few updates from our local Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller:

What’s Up in April 2023 Skywatching Tips from NASA
Credits: NASA/JPL, Preston Dyches
Mercury reaches its highest in the evening sky for the year for Northern Hemisphere observers. The Moon makes its monthly rounds to pair up beautifully with several planets. And viewing conditions may be ideal for the annual Lyrid meteor shower, thanks to no interference from the Moon. The phases of the Moon are included.
NASA Baseball Fans Hit One Out of the Park for Rocket Science
Credits: NASA
A team of researchers and baseball fans at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia is using baseballs to help improve computer simulations that advance aerospace technologies. When a pitcher releases a baseball and it speeds toward the batter at 95 mph; the movement of the ball is impacted by complex forces of the air through which it is flying. But how does this relate to rocket science? Click the link above to find out. There are simulations and a video.
Welcome spring!
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing: William Ostling