What’s Up in the March Sky
March ’s Evening Planets:
Venus will be up after sunset until 10 PM close to the horizon moving between Pisces the Fish and Taurus the Bull. Uranus is in Pisces the Fish until 10 PM.
March’s Evening Stars:
The Winter Triangle will be up until 11 PM this month: Sirius, the brightest star viewed from Earth, is in Canis Major the Great Dog; Betelgeuse is in Orion the Hunter; and Procyon is in Canis Minor the Small Dog. Spot Capella in Auriga the Charioteer, Spica in Virgo the Maiden, Arcturus in Boötes the Herds-man, Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull, and bright Castor and Pollux in Gemini the Twins. Also find the stars of constellations Cassiopeia, Perseus, Cepheus, Leo, Hydra, Draco, Hercules, and Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Big and Little Dippers).
March’s Morning Planets:
Mars could be viewed as of 4 AM until sunrise moving between Sagittarius the Archer and Capricornus the Sea-goat. Bright Jupiter and Saturn can be seen close to each other between Sagittarius the Archer and Capricornus the Sea-goat from around 4 AM until sunrise. Mercury will be up as of 6 AM in Aquarius the Water Bearer. Little Pluto will be in Sagittarius the Archer as of 4 AM, lingering until sunrise.
March’s Morning Stars:
The Summer Triangle of Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in Aquila the Eagle will be up until sunrise. Look for reddish Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion, Castor and Pollux in Gemini the Twins, Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman, and Spica in Virgo the Maiden, along with the stars of constellations Leo, Hercules, Libra, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Ophiuchus, Cepheus, Draco, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor.
March Skylights
- March 2 First Quarter Moon at 2:55 PM
- March 9 Full Moon at 1:50 PM
- March 10 Moon at perigee (221,900 miles away)
- March 16 Third Quarter Moon 5:35 AM
- March 18 Moon is ½ ° south of Mars, pre-dawn
- March 19 Vernal equinox at 11:50 PM
- March 20 Mars is ½ ° south of Jupiter, 2 AM
- March 23 Mercury at greatest western elongation
- March 24 New Moon at 5:30 AM
- March 24 Moon at apogee (252,700 miles away)
- March 24 Venus at greatest western elongation
- March 26 Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter line up closely, pre-dawn
Times given in EDT.
Resources
Download Ken Graun’s March 2020 sky chart for reference and observing ideas.
Another equally helpful resource is Skymaps monthly evening sky charts available for different hemispheres. Download March’s The Evening Sky Map.
