This weekend’s full moon, the Mud Moon, will dominate our evening skies, starting in the moments following sunset, to just before sunrise. This is a brilliant moon that is capable of casting shadows. It is also the moon that bids the arrival of spring, a week later.

The moon will reside in the zodiacal constellation Leo through the weekend. Leo, the lion, is a constellation we associate with spring. The head of Leo looks like a large reversed question mark. Friday night the moon is near the brilliant star Regulus, the principal star in Leo and the bottom of the question mark.

As you look at Regulus, note its brilliance in a field of fairly faint stars. Regulus is close to us, only 79 light years away. If the star were closer, we’d notice that it is made up of more than one star. Through measurements of light, astronomers have been able to determine that Regulus is really four stars, two pairs bound together in a gravitational dance.

Next Tuesday night offers a pleasant sight for those up late. The gibbous moon appears near the bright planet Jupiter and the fainter star Spica, the principal star in the constellation Virgo. Virgo and Leo are constellations we associate with spring. Spring is only a week away.

The long awaited shift in seasons is near. While the most noticeable change involves longer days and shorter nights, a change in the clock is the most welcome. The official time change occurs on Sunday at 2 a.m.; when clocks are advanced an hour. This is a gift, offering us longer days when we need it most, in the late afternoon.