MARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Your guide to the night sky this month
Wednesday
1 This evening and tomorrow evening, Jupiter and Venus appear really close to one another in the evening twilight after sunset. This evening they are 0.6° apart and tomorrow they will appear 0.8° apart.
Saturday
25 As the 20%-lit waxing crescent Moon approaches the west-northwest horizon, it’ll be located close to the Pleiades open cluster – a good opportunity for a stunning photo.
Thursday
2 Mercury and Saturn are 1° apart as they rise this morning. Not well positioned, it may be possible to see them in a blue sky after sunrise. Their closest separation of 52 arcminutes occurs at 14:40 UT.
Saturday
4 The Moon’s southern polar region is favourably tipped into view, thanks to lunar libration.
Sunday
26 Ceres will pass across mag. +9.3 galaxy M100 tonight and into tomorrow morning.
British Summer Time begins in the UK. The clocks go forward one hour at 01:00 UT this morning to become 02:00 BST.
Tuesday
14 As the 60%-lit waning gibbous Moon rises this morning around 02:00 UT, it’ll be just over a degree east-northeast of mag. +1.0 Antares (Alpha (α) Scorpii).
Saturday
18 If you have light-pollution-free skies, this is a good time to look out for the gentle and very subtle cone of light sometimes seen over towards the west 90 or so minutes after sunset, known as the Zodiacal Light.
Wednesday
22 This evening an extremely slender 1%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits 1.8° southwest of mag. –1.9 Jupiter. Catch this tricky but rewarding sight low above the western horizon around 19:00 UT.
Monday 27
In the evening twilight after sunset, mag. –1.3 Mercury and mag. –1.9 Jupiter are just 1.5° apart, low above the western horizon.
Wednesday
29 Mag. +1.0 Mars sits 1.2° north of fifth-magnitude open cluster M35 this evening.
Monday
20 The centre of the Sun crosses the celestial equator at precisely 21:25 UT today, defining the March equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere it’s known as the vernal or spring equinox.
Thursday
30 Mag. –3.9 Venus sits 1.2° north of mag. +5.8 Uranus this evening. Catch the pair above the western horizon after the Sun sets.
Thursday
23 Over the course of the next few evenings there’s a good opportunity to catch features on the Moon’s east limb, rotated into view by favourable libration.
Tuesday
28 The 39%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits 6.6° from mag. +0.9 Mars this morning as the pair are close to setting at the northwest horizon just before 03:00 BST (02:00 UT).
Wednesday
15 Lunar libration reveals views of the Moon’s northwest region today.
Tuesday
21 Dwarf planet Ceres reaches opposition, shining at mag. +6.6 in the constellation of Coma Berenices, just north of the Virgo galaxy cluster.
Friday
24 The 9%-lit waxing crescent Moon is 0.9° south of Venus at 10:10 UT. Later, after sunset, the pair form a stunning sight low in the west.
As it sets, the Moon is 2° from Uranus.