March is a busy month for observers this year, providing some of the best planets, springtime galaxies, and a lunar eclipse.
March comes in like a lion this year. Great viewing events start off the month, while the end of the month is quiet like a meek little lamb. On March 1, the Moon and Saturn make a close encounter right after sunset. The bright moon is just two days from full, and Saturn shines at -0.13, making for a brilliant pairing. (The moon again pairs with Saturn at the end of the month, on March 28.) By the next night, March 2, the moon will have jumped to the other side of Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion, as it separates from Saturn.
Behind the tail of Leo the Lion lies a huge group of galaxies, the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. These targets, along with the galaxies behind the tail of Ursa Major, make for a busy night for deep-sky observers.
March 3 brings the Full Moon at 6:17 p.m. EST and a Total Lunar Eclipse from 5:44 p.m. to 6:58 p.m. EST. Follow the link to learn when the moon will be visible to you. Most North Americans will have the best view just after sunset.
Venus remains bright in the western sky after sunset. It shines at magnitude -3.8. By the end of the month it will set three hours after sunset as it moves slowly east. Watch the Moon pass Venus on March 20 and March 21. The next day, on March 22, the Moon will meet the Pleiades star cluster, occulting some of its stars for viewers in the northwestern US. Venus and the Pleiades continue to move toward each other every night, where they will meet with a conjunction in mid-April.
Daylight Saving Time begins on March 11 this year, three weeks earlier than it had been. This means that it will be light out longer into the evening, pushing back observing time into the later evening hours. However, darkness will stay for longer in the morning hours, giving some a chance to catch the morning planets.
Jupiter shines brightly at magnitude -2.0 in the southern sky at dawn. Also in the morning sky are Mars and Mercury. On the morning of March 16, the moon resides between Mars and Mercury (and next to Neptune, if you could see it with the unaided eye). The next day, St. Patrick's Day, Mars and Mercury appear at their closest and the green planet, Uranus, leads the sun upward from the horizon.
On March 18 the New Moon occurs at 9:43 p.m. EST. A partial solar eclipse is visible in the far corner of Alaska and eastern Asia. On March 19, try to spy the moon after sunset. Its thin crescent will be a challenge to find as it sets soon after the Sun.
The equinox occurs on March 20 at 7:07 p.m. EST. Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere and fall begins south of the equator. The equinox is the perfect time to find the cardinal directions of east and west. The sun will rise directly in the east and set directly in the west on the equinoxes. Hope for clear skies so you can begin the creation of your own Stonehenge in your backyard.
Go to the Night Sky for April 2007.
