Sunday, March 1 – Bright moon approaches Regulus (all night)
Once the sky begins to darken on Sunday evening, March 1, the very bright, white star Regulus that marks the heart of Leo, the Lion, will appear a palm’s width below the bright, nearly full moon in the eastern sky. For skywatchers viewing the scene later or in more westerly time zones, the star will be close enough to the moon for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Early risers on Monday morning can also look above the western horizon to see Regulus twinkling much closer to the moon’s upper left. Hours later, observers located in a zone that extends from northern China and southern Russia, across Japan and east to Hawaii can safely watch the moon occult Regulus during the wee hours of Monday, March 2.
Monday, March 2 – The Apollo landing sites (all night)
The six crewed Apollo Missions were sent to different regions of the moon in order to carry out experiments and to bring back rock samples that help us determine the age and composition of the moon’s surface. For safety reasons, the inaugural Apollo 11 crew was sent to the flat and relatively featureless terrain of Mare Tranquillitatis, “Sea of Tranquility,” near the moon’s equator (red line). Later missions landed in more rugged regions where more deeply buried material could be sampled from outcroppings. When the moon approaches its full phase, all of the sites where the astronauts explored are illuminated by sunlight, but no telescope on Earth is strong enough to see the equipment they left on the moon.
Tuesday, March 3 – Full Crow Moon and Total Lunar Eclipse
In the Americas, the moon will formally reach its full phase on Tuesday morning, March 3 at 7:38 a.m. EST, 4:38 a.m. PST, or 11:38 GMT. At a glance, the moon will appear to be full on both Monday and Tuesday night. The March full moon, known as the Worm Moon, Crow Moon, Sap Moon or Lenten Moon, always shines in or near the stars of Leo or Virgo.
This full moon will pass through Earth’s umbral shadow, producing a total lunar eclipse visible across western North America, the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand, eastern Australasia, Japan, and most of Russia. For South America and eastern North America, the moon will set on Tuesday morning while the eclipse is underway. In most of Asia, the eclipse will have begun when the moon rises on Tuesday evening. For North America, the left-hand (western) rim of the full moon will be very slightly darkened when it starts its trip through the weaker outer penumbral shadow at 3:44 a.m. EST (0844 GMT). The first “bite” out of the moon will appear when that edge contacts the central umbra at 4:50 a.m. EST(0950 GMT). The moon will fully darken into a reddened, so-called “blood moon” between 6:04 a.m. and 7:04 a.m. EST (1104 to 1203 GMT). Because the moon’s path will carry it well south of the center of the umbra, the upper portion of the moon will be noticeably darker than the lower portion during maximum eclipse at 6:33 a.m. EST(or 1133 GMT). The moon will move clear of the Earth’s umbral shadow at the final “bite” time of 8:17 a.m. EST (1317 GMT). Lunar eclipses are completely safe to view and photograph without filters.
Thursday, March 5 – Evening zodiacal light in the west
If you live in a location where the sky is free of light pollution, you might be able to spot the zodiacal light during the two weeks that precede the new moon on March 19. Starting around Thursday, March 5, after the evening twilight has faded, you’ll have about half an hour to check the western sky for a broad wedge of faint light extending upwards from the horizon and centered on the ecliptic below the stars of Aries. That glow is the zodiacal light — sunlight scattered from countless small particles of material that populate the plane of our solar system. Don’t confuse it with the brighter Milky Way, which extends upwards from the northwestern horizon in the evening at this time of year.
Friday, March 6 – Bright moon approaches Spica (predawn)
Early risers on Friday morning, March 6, can look southwest to see Virgo’s brightest star Spica twinkling to the upper left (or celestial east) of the waning gibbous moon — close enough for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Observers viewing the duo in more westerly time zones will see the moon even closer to Spica. Night owls can see the moon shining above and below that bright star on Thursday and Friday night, respectively.
Saturday, March 7 – Venus dances with Saturn
With each passing day during the first week of March, the brilliant planet Venus will be swinging away from the sun and climbing higher above the western horizon after sunset. Meanwhile, Saturn will be dropping sunward. The two planets will share the field of view of binoculars (orange circle) from Tuesday, March 3, to Thursday, March 12. On Saturday, March 7 and on the following evening, the two planets will be close enough to share the field of view in a backyard telescope (green circle). Saturn, 88 times fainter than Venus, will be located about a finger’s width to Venus’ left (or 1 degree to its celestial south), though a telescope will reverse their positions. Be sure to wait until the sun has completely set before using any optical aids.
Sunday, March 8 – Daylight Saving Time begins (at 2 a.m.)
For jurisdictions that adopt Daylight Saving Time (DST), clocks should be set forward by one hour at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, March 8. For stargazers, the time change and the fact that sunsets occur 1 minute later each day near the March equinox, will mean that dark-sky observing cannot commence until much later in the evening — possibly after the bedtime of junior astronomers. The difference from local time to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the astronomers’ Universal Time (UT) decreases by one hour when DST is in effect. Daylight Saving Time will end on Nov. 1, 2026.
Tuesday, March 10 – Low moon approaches Antares (predawn)
In the southern sky on Tuesday morning, March 10, sky-watchers can see the bright, waning gibbous moon shining a thumb’s width to the lower right (or celestial southwest) of Antares, the bright, reddish star that marks the heart of the Scorpion. The duo will be cozy enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle) and backyard telescopes. The moon will be sitting rather low in the sky since it will be travelling at the southerly range of its tilted orbit, more than 6 degrees south of the ecliptic (green line). Observers located in the Southern Ocean from southernmost Polynesia to Antarctica can watch the moon occult Antares with unaided eyes, binoculars, and telescopes.
Wednesday, March 11 – Third quarter moon
The moon will reach its third quarter phase on Wednesday, March 11 at 5:38 a.m. EDT, 2:38 a.m. PDT or 09:38 GMT. Third quarter moons rise around midnight in your local time zone, and then remain visible in the morning daytime sky, a pale ghost of the night. At every third, or last, quarter phase, the moon is 50%-illuminated, on its western side, towards the pre-dawn sun. The week of dark, moonless evenings that follow this phase is ideal for observing deep sky targets in binoculars and telescopes, especially springtime galaxies.
Wednesday, March 11 – Jupiter Completes a Retrograde Loop (all night)
On Wednesday, March 11, the very bright planet Jupiter will temporarily halt its motion (dotted line) through the background stars of central Gemini — marking the end of a westward retrograde loop that it began in mid-November and spanned 10 degrees of the ecliptic. The planet will be gleaming high in the southwestern sky during the evening. After tonight, Jupiter will ramp up to its regular eastward motion — generally toward Wasat, the medium-bright star that marks Pollux’s waist. Retrograde loops occur when Earth, on a faster orbit closer to the sun, passes more distant solar system objects “on the inside track”, making them appear to move backwards across the stars for a period of time.
Saturday, March 14 – The Hyades Cluster (evening)
The stars that form the triangular face of Taurus, the Bull, are located only about 150 light-years away from us, making it one of the nearest open star clusters to our solar system. The pattern is commonly called the Hyades, named for the five daughters of Atlas in Greek mythology. It also has the designations Melotte 25 and Caldwell 41. The cluster contains several hundred stars, with a half-dozen of them visible under moonless suburban skies, many as close-together pairs. It’s a superb object to view in binoculars (orange circle). The cluster’s stars likely formed together about 625 million years ago. The five brightest members are all within a few light-years of one another in our galaxy. The bright orange star Aldebaran, at the upper left (or celestial southeastern) vertex of the Hyades triangle, is actually not part of the cluster. It is less than half as far away! The Hyades will be halfway up the western sky in early evening and will sink into the trees around midnight local time. The Pleiades (Messier 45) is another bright and more compact star cluster glittering a fist’s width to the right of the bull’s face.
Tuesday, March 17 – Sliver of moon near Mercury and Mars (before sunrise)
Sharp-eyed observers might catch sight of the extremely slender crescent of the old moon just above the eastern horizon before sunrise on Tuesday morning, March 17. The planets Mercury and Mars will be positioned several finger widths to the moon’s left (or 3.5 degrees to its celestial northeast) — close enough for the trio to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). The moon and two planets will form a rough triangle with Mercury positioned several finger widths above somewhat fainter Mars. Skywatchers located in the tropics, where the morning ecliptic is vertical, will see the trio more easily as they’ll be higher and in a darker sky. Turn all optical aids away from the horizon before sunrise.
Wednesday, March 18 – New moon
At 9:23 p.m. EDT on March 18, the moon will officially reach its new moon phase. At that time, it will be located in western Pisces, approximately 1.4 degrees north of the sun. While new, the moon is traversing the space between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only shine on the far side of a new moon, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun, our natural satellite becomes completely hidden from view for about a day — unless a solar eclipse occurs, as was the case a month ago!
Friday, March 20 – March Equinox
On Friday, March 20, at 9:46 a.m. EDT or 6:46 a.m. PDT and 14:46 GMT, the sun will cross the celestial equator traveling north, marking the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of northern spring. Days and nights will be of equal length on that day, and the sun will rise due east and set due west. At mid-northern latitudes on the March equinox, the amount of daylight added to each day peaks at 3 minutes, though daylight will continue to be added until the June solstice.
Friday, March 20 – Earthshine moon over Venus
The western sky after sunset on Friday, March 20, will provide us with a spectacular sight and a lovely photo opportunity when the delicate sliver of the young crescent moon will shine above the brilliant planet Venus. Venus will sink below the rooftops first, at around 7:45 p.m. local time, the moon an hour later. Keep an eye out for Earthshine. Sometimes called the Ashen Glow or the Old Moon in the New Moon’s Arms, the phenomenon is visible within a day or two of new moon, when sunlight reflected off Earth and back toward the moon slightly brightens the unlit portion of the moon’s Earth-facing hemisphere.
Sunday, March 22 – Crescent moon meets the Pleiades
The pretty, waxing crescent moon will shine halfway up the western sky after dusk on Sunday, March 22. If you place the moon at the bottom edge of the field of view of binoculars (orange circle), the bright Pleiades Star Cluster, aka Messier 45, Subaru, and the Seven Sisters will be arrayed near the top of the field. The cluster, which resembles a miniature dipper, will also appear to your unaided eyes. You might glimpse the blue-green speck of Uranus positioned off to their left. Those viewing the scene later, and in more westerly time zones, will see the moon closer to the cluster. The group will drop into the trees around 11 pm local time. Hours later, skywatchers located in the region surrounding Japan will see the moon skim through the northern edge of the cluster.
Tuesday, March 24 – Half moon on the Bull’s Horn
High in the western sky after dusk on Tuesday evening, March 24, the half-illuminated moon will shine very close to the bright star Elnath, which marks the northern horn tip of Taurus, the Bull and is also part of the ring-shaped constellation of Auriga, the Charioteer. During the night, the moon’s steady eastward orbital motion around the Earth, by about its own diameter every hour, will carry it past the star. Observers located in a zone extending eastward across northeastern South America can use binoculars (orange circle) and backyard telescopes to watch the moon occult Elnath. Exact timings will vary by location, so use an app like Starry Night to determine the precise times where you live. In Georgetown, Guyana, the dark leading edge of the moon will cover Elnath at 6:50 p.m. Guyana Time, which converts to 22:50 GMT for other time zones. The star will emerge from behind the moon’s opposite, bright limb near Mare Crisium at 8:14 p.m. GYT. For best results, start watching a few minutes ahead of each time noted.
Wednesday, March 25 – First quarter moon near Jupiter
The moon will complete the first quarter of its orbit around Earth, measuring from the previous new moon, on Wednesday, March 25 at 2:18 p.m. EST or 11:18 a.m. PST or 19:18 GMT. After dusk that evening, the brilliant planet Jupiter will shine to the moon’s left (or celestial southeast). At first quarter, the 90-degree angle formed by the Earth, sun, and moon will cause us to see our natural satellite as a half-moon with its eastern hemisphere illuminated. At this part of the lunar cycle, the moon always rises around noon and sets around midnight, allowing it to be seen in the daytime sky, too. The evenings surrounding the first quarter are the best ones for viewing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight.
Wednesday, March 25 – An X and a V on the moon
Several times a year, for a few hours near its first quarter phase, a feature on the moon called the Lunar X becomes visible in strong binoculars and backyard telescopes. When the rims of the craters Parbach, la Caille, and Blanchinus are illuminated from a particular angle of sunlight, they form a small, but very obvious X-shape. The phenomenon is called pareidolia — the tendency of the human mind to see familiar objects when looking at random patterns. The Lunar X is located near the terminator, about one-third of the way up from the southern pole of the moon. The Lunar V forms along the northern span of the terminator near the crater Ukert. The prominent round crater Werner sits to its lower right. On Wednesday, March 25, the Lunar X will start developing around 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time (or 01:30 GMT in other time zones), peak in intensity around 11 p.m. EDT (or 03:00 GMT), and then gradually fade by 12:30 a.m. EDT. This event should be visible anywhere on Earth where the moon is shining in a dark sky during that time window. Simply adjust for your difference from the Eastern Time zone. For the Americas, the moon will be positioned in the southwestern sky next to the brilliant planet Jupiter.
Thursday, March 26 – Moon meets Jupiter and the Twins (evening)
As darkness is settling on Thursday evening, March 26, look high in the southern sky for the brilliant planet Jupiter shining a palm’s width to the right (or celestial southwest) of the bright, waxing gibbous moon. After evening twilight, the bright stars of winter will appear around them. Pollux and Castor, the bright twins of Gemini, will shine several finger widths above (or celestial north) of the moon. The grouping will travel across the sky for much of the night and then set in the west during the wee hours of Friday morning. By then, the moon will have moved to align more with Castor and Pollux. For parts of North America, the moon will also occult the medium-bright star Kappa Geminorum starting around 12:15 a.m. EDT (or 04:15 GMT).
Friday, March 27 – Bright moon buzzes the Beehive (evening)
On Friday afternoon, March 27, the waxing gibbous moon will be easy to see climbing the eastern sky in the daylight. After twilight, the moon will shine high in the south and just two finger widths above and to the right (or celestial northwest) of the large open star cluster in Cancer known as the Beehive, Praesepe, and Messier 44. The moon and the stellar “bees”, which will be scattered across an area more than twice the size of a full moon, will fit into the field of view in binoculars (orange circle). Observers located in more westerly time zones will see the moon even closer to the cluster, even skimming its northern edge. The stars will be more visible if you hide the bright moon beyond the edge of the binoculars’ field of view.
Saturday, March 28 – Mare Imbrium’s Handle (all night)
On Saturday night, March 28, in the Americas, the terminator on the waxing gibbous moon will fall just to the west of Sinus Iridum, the Bay of Rainbows. The circular 155-mile (249 km) diameter feature is a large impact crater that was flooded by the same basalts that filled the much larger Mare Imbrium to its east — forming a rounded “handle” on the western edge of that mare. For time zones that cover central Asia, the “Golden Handle” effect will be visible. That arises when sunlight strikes the prominent Montes Jura mountain range that surrounds Sinus Iridum on the north and west, while the floor of the bay remains dark. Sinus Iridum is almost craterless, but hosts a set of northeast-oriented wrinkle ridges that are revealed around this phase.
Sunday, March 29 – Moon meets Regulus again (evening)
For the second time this calendar month, the waxing gibbous moon will shine binoculars-close (orange circle) to Leo’s brightest star, Regulus, in the southeastern sky on Sunday evening, March 29. As they cross the sky together, the motion of the moon will widen their separation and the diurnal rotation of the sky will lift the moon to Regulus’ upper left by the time they set in the west before dawn. Hours earlier, observers located in a zone that extends from eastern Europe, across most of northern Africa and the Middle East to southern India can watch the moon occult Regulus starting around 19:36 GMT. Exact timings will vary by location, so use an app like Starry Night to determine the precise times where you live and start watching a few minutes beforehand.
Monday, March 30 – The Aristarchus Plateau (all night)
Three prominent craters break up the expanse of Oceanus Procellarum, the widespread dark region on the moon’s left-hand (western) side. Large Copernicus is the easternmost and most central of the craters. Its extensive, ragged ray system intermingles with that of the smaller crater Kepler to its lower left (southwest). The small, but very bright crater Aristarchus, positioned to the left (northwest) of them, will fall just to the sunny side of the terminator on Monday night, March 30. Aristarchus occupies the southeastern corner of a spectacular, diamond-shaped plateau. A backyard telescope under high magnification will show features like the large, sinuous rille named Vallis Schröteri. Its snake-like form begins between Aristarchus and the next-door crater Herodotus and meanders across the plateau. One of the most colorful regions on the moon, NASA orbiters have detected high levels of radioactive radon there.
Read more & view accompanying images at: https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html