JUPITER’S MOONS MARCH

Using a small scope you’ll be able to spot Jupiter’s biggest moons. Their positions change dramatically during the month, as shown on the diagram. The line by each date on the left represents 00:00 UT. disc. By 31 March this increases to 8 arcseconds.

VENUS

BEST TIME TO SEE: 28 March, 30 minutes after sunset ALTITUDE: 5º (low) LOCATION: Capricornus DIRECTION: West

Venus is an evening object that has a close call from Mercury between 3-5 March, the planets appearing just over 1° apart. Venus at mag. –3.8 outshines mag. –1.1 Mercury but both will be bright and obvious in the evening twilight, towards the west. Venus sets 90 minutes after the Sun mid-month. If you have a clear sky on the evening of 18 March, don’t miss the sight of mag. +0.4 Mercury, –3.8 Venus and a 1%-lit waxing crescent Moon forming a celestial line. Look for them approximately 30 minutes after sunset. Venus should be visible first, then Mercury above and to the right with the Moon below and to the left of Venus. By the end of the month, Venus will set nearly two hours after the Sun. A telescopic view of the planet will show it to have a small 10 arcsecond disc 94%-illuminated on 31 March.

MARS

BEST TIME TO SEE: 31 March, from 04:00 UT ALTITUDE: 9º (low) LOCATION: Sagittarius DIRECTION: South-southeast

Mars is a morning object moving east at the start of March, passing from Ophiuchus into Sagittarius. A 42%-lit waning crescent Moon is close on the morning of 10 March. On 18-20 March, mag. +0.5 Mars slips between M8, the Lagoon Nebula, and M20, the Trifid Nebula. If you want to catch this at its best, view the area from 03:45 UT onwards. By the end of the month, Mars will have brightened to mag. +0.3 and appears close to Saturn, both in Sagittarius. Telescopically, Mars is changing as it starts to approach Earth. On 1 March the planet shows a 5 arcsecond

JUPITER

BEST TIME TO SEE: 31 March, 03:00 UT ALTITUDE: 20º LOCATION: Libra DIRECTION: South

Jupiter is a mag. –2.0 morning object at the start of March with a 71%-lit waning gibbous Moon nearby on 7 March. At the end of the month, Jupiter brightens to mag. –2.2. Through a telescope Jupiter is 38 arcseconds across on 1 March, but grows to 42 arcseonds by 31 March.

SATURN

BEST TIME TO SEE: 31 March, 03:30 UT ALTITUDE: 7º (low) LOCATION: Sagittarius DIRECTION: Southeast

Saturn is in Sagittarius, north of the Teapot asterism. It shines at mag. +1.0 with a yellowish hue. A morning object, it’s best seen near the end of March. A lovely 34%-lit, waning crescent Moon lies 2° from the planet as they rise on the morning of 11 March. Look for them just before 04:00 UT, low in the southeast.

URANUS

BEST TIME TO SEE: 1 March, 20:00 UT ALTITUDE: 19º LOCATION: Pisces DIRECTION: West

Uranus is losing viability as an observing target. It’s in Pisces and visible in the evening sky at the start of the month. But it’s only visible when the planet is low in the west. A delicate 5%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits 5° southeast of Uranus on 19 March. If you can find Venus on 28 March, Uranus is 14 arcminutes above it relative to the UK’s horizon. Venus will be at mag. –3.8 on this date, while Uranus is mag. +5.9.

Not visible this month. NEPTUNE