Time for some Skywatching

“The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night”—aequus (equal) and nox (night).” ~  Almanac.com

Today marks the March equinox, also the first day of spring where I live. It’s an auspicious time in that the day and night are nearly equal in all parts of the world. In my part of the world, sunrise and sunset are at around 7:25.

To mark this change of seasons, we’re going to spend the next two weeks looking at the sky, day and night, and its connection to the weather of your place.

Skywatching has long become an important meditative practice for me and, I think, many others too. There’s something grounding about gazing at the sky and its spaciousness, clouds in particular. 

I find clouds to be utterly fascinating, never the same from one day to the next. Like water, the clouds in the sky are always moving and changing. They’re also a predictor of the weather. 

“The song Both Sides, Now, by Joni Mitchell is, at first, a meditation on clouds, the whimsical way a child sees them, as “ice-cream castles in the air,” but there are two sides to everything, and as we mature, we stop seeing clouds for their simple beauty, but as a sign of rain or bad weather. It is like that with all things that seem at first so simple and beautiful. We start out with natural optimism as children, and then as adults we learn to see clouds/life/love for what they are.” – Catherine MacLellan, PEI singer-songwriter via The Globe and Mail

Clouds are an integral part of the water cycle in your place. They’re accumulations of water and/or ice crystals from evaporation and they vary according to the season. Clouds provide clues as to the amount and conditions of precipitation in the atmosphere.  

Back in February, we went through an extended period of very cold weather. What makes this weather easier to bear is that it’s often accompanied by sunshine and blue skies. One cold day, when warmer weather was expected the following day, I looked up to discover the majestic sky above. These are cirrus clouds. They’re made of ice crystals and are high in the atmosphere.

Last week, we had a couple of very foggy days, which is a signal of the change in season. A warm front came through, connecting with the cool ground and water, creating fog. A few of you have posted on Instagram about the wide variation in March weather. 

Practice

This week, your practice is easy and straightforward. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, each day take a moment to look up at the sky and note what you see and feel. 

What is the colour of the sky? 

What types of clouds are in the sky? Use this resource - 10 Most Common Types of Cloud - to identify them.

How are these clouds connected to the weather and season? 

How does the sky affect your mood?

Resources

What do clouds tell us about the weather?

My post on clouds from an airplane and Joni Mitchell’s song, Both Sides Now.