Moon Phases
Saturday, Mar. 1, 3:00 a.m. EST
New Moon
The Moon is not visible on the date of New Moon because it
is too close to the Sun, but can be seen low in the east as a narrow crescent a
morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the west an
evening or two after New Moon. This is the first of two New Moons this month.
Saturday, Mar. 8, 8:27 a.m. EST
First Quarter Moon
The First Quarter Moon rises around 11 a.m. and sets around
2 a.m. It dominates the evening sky.
Sunday, Mar. 16, 1:08 p.m. EDT
Full Moon
The Full Moon of March is known as the Worm Moon, Crow Moon,
Sap Moon, or Lenten Moon. It rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the
only night in the month when the Moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of
the month, the Moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.
Sunday, Mar. 23, 9:46 p.m. EDT
Last Quarter Moon
The Last Quarter Moon rises around 2 a.m. and sets around
noon. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern sky.
Sunday, Mar. 30, 2:45 p.m. EDT
New Moon
This is the second New Moon this month. There is no special
name for this event. Notice how much closer the Sun and Moon are compared to
the New Moon on March 1. At the next New Moon on April 29, the Moon will pass
directly in front of the Sun, causing an annular solar eclipse, visible in
Antarctica and Australia.
Observing Highlights
Saturday/Sunday, Mar. 9/10, 1 a.m.
Jupiter and the Moon
Saturday night (or rather Sunday morning) at 2 a.m. we turn
our clocks forward to Daylight Saving Time. About an hour before that happens,
have a look at your western horizon. You’ll see an arch of first magnitude
stars: Procyon, Pollux, Castor, and Capella, and suspended beneath them, the
planet Jupiter and the slightly gibbous waxing Moon.
Friday, March 14, before sunrise
Mercury at greatest elongation
For observers in the southern hemisphere, this is the best
time to see Mercury in the morning sky. Look about half an hour before sunrise,
and you will see Mercury half way between brilliant Venus and the horizon,
framed by first magnitude stars Altair and Fomalhaut.
Tuesday, Mar. 18–Tuesday, Apr. 1, after evening twilight
Zodiacal Light
The faint glow of the zodiacal light, reflected from
millions of tiny interplanetary particles, will be visible from northern
latitudes in the western sky right after evening twilight ends. Fainter than
the Milky Way, this is only visible in really dark skies. The Milky Way arches
from southwest to northwest, while the zodiacal light rises straight up from
the western horizon underneath Jupiter.
Tuesday, Mar. 18, 10 p.m. local time
Mars, Spica, and the Moon
Look towards the eastern horizon around 10 p.m. and you’ll
see the Moon, two days past Full, rising with the planet Mars to its left and Spica
to its right.
Thursday, March 20, 2:07 a.m.
Asteroid Erigone occults Regulus
Asteroid 163 Erigone will pass in front of the first
magnitude star Regulus, causing it to blink out of sight for a few seconds.
This will be visible only on a narrow path starting over Long Island, New York,
through Kingston, Ontario, Algonquin Provincial Park, and the western part of
Hudson’s Bay. A map of the predicted path is shown here http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/observations/RegulusOcc/.
Erigone itself will be 11th magnitude, not visible to the naked eye.
Thursday, Mar. 20, 12:57 p.m. EDT
Equinox
The Sun crosses the celestial equator heading north, marking
the beginning of Spring in the northern hemisphere and Autumn in the southern
hemisphere.
Thursday, Mar. 20, midnight
Saturn and the Moon
Saturn and the Moon rise together just before midnight in
the southeastern sky. Earlier in the day, the Moon occulted Saturn as seen from
northeastern South America, southern Africa, and Madagascar.
Saturday, Mar. 22, 4 p.m. EDT
Venus at greatest elongation west
Venus will be at its farthest westward from the Sun, which
means that it will also be in perfect “half-moon” phase, lit exactly from its left
side.
Sunday, Mar. 23, 10:08 p.m.–10:32 p.m. EDT
Double shadow transit on Jupiter
The shadows of two of Jupiter’s moons, Io and Ganymede, will
cross Jupiter’s face simultaneously, visible to observers all across North
America.
Thursday, Mar. 27, sunrise
The Moon close to Venus
The slender crescent moon will be just to the left of Venus,
which will appear as a miniature crescent in small telescopes.
Planets
Mercury is well
placed in the morning sky for observers in the southern hemisphere for most of
March.
Venus is now a
“morning star,” rising in the east just before the sun. It reaches greatest elongation
west on March 22.
Mars is continues to
brighten close to Spica in Virgo. It rises in the east in mid-evening and is
visible the rest of the night.
Jupiter shines
brightly in the south most of the night. The Great Red Spot is easier to see
than in many recent years, showing a distinct orange color.
Saturn rises in the
eastern sky around midnight in the constellation Libra.
Uranus is too close
to the Sun to be visible, being in conjunction with the Sun on April 2.
Neptune is too close
to the Sun to be visible.
Geoff Gaherty
Starry Night Software Support
All graphics © 2014 Starry Night Software
