Local Sky Events
March
Check back often for updates
- Moon is first quarter Mar 6, full Moon Mar 14, third quarter Mar 22 and new on Mar 29.
- Daylight-Savings Time begins at 2 AM March 9 for most of the US and Canada.
- March 20 Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere at 5:01 AM EDT.
- The Zodiacal Light may be visible from a dark site - a conical glow in the west from light reflected off dust particles in Earth's orbit - one week either side of new moon on March 29.
- Venus, shines at a whopping magnitude -4.8 above the southwestern horizon as it becomes a slim crescent, brighter and closer to Earth. Use binoculars to see the slim crescent.
- Jupiter is easy to spot as it is very bright and almost directly overhead in the early evening hours. Watch the dance of its 4 Galilean moons.
- Mars is easy to spot about halfway above the eastern horizon during the early evening hours making a triangle with Castor and Pollux. Its ruddy color makes it easy to identify.
- Saturn is lost to us now as it approaches conjunction with the sun.
- On Mar 1, Mercury will be 10 degrees lower right of the crescent Moon shining at magnitude -1.0 close to the western horizon. Mar 8 it is 18 degrees from the sun, at an altitude of 8 degrees about 45 minutes after sunset shining at mag -0.3. Use binoculars to help with the haze.
Check back often for updates
- Moon is first quarter Mar 6, full Moon Mar 14, third quarter Mar 22 and new on Mar 29.
- Daylight-Savings Time begins at 2 AM March 9 for most of the US and Canada.
- March 20 Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere at 5:01 AM EDT.
- The Zodiacal Light may be visible from a dark site - a conical glow in the west from light reflected off dust particles in Earth's orbit - one week either side of new moon on March 29.
- Venus, shines at a whopping magnitude -4.8 above the southwestern horizon as it becomes a slim crescent, brighter and closer to Earth. Use binoculars to see the slim crescent.
- Jupiter is easy to spot as it is very bright and almost directly overhead in the early evening hours. Watch the dance of its 4 Galilean moons.
- Mars is easy to spot about halfway above the eastern horizon during the early evening hours making a triangle with Castor and Pollux. Its ruddy color makes it easy to identify.
- Saturn is lost to us now as it approaches conjunction with the sun.
- On Mar 1, Mercury will be 10 degrees lower right of the crescent Moon shining at magnitude -1.0 close to the western horizon. Mar 8 it is 18 degrees from the sun, at an altitude of 8 degrees about 45 minutes after sunset shining at mag -0.3. Use binoculars to help with the haze.
See our Links page - Sky Watching - for other events.
See Sky and Telescope Magazine (The Sky at a Glance) for more events.