MARCH
1 Moon, at perigee (224,914 miles from Earth) passes Venus and Neptune
4 Moon passes Uranus
6 First Quarter Moon passes Jupiter
8 Moon passes Mars
14 Full Moon – “Worm Moon” – undergoes a total eclipse, visible from the Americas
1:04 AM – Moon enters umbra
2:25 AM – Totality begins
3:32 AM – Totality ends
4:48 AM – Moon leaves umbra
17 Moon at apogee (252,124 miles from Earth)
22 Last Quarter
24 Moon passes Pluto
28 Moon passes Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Neptune
29 New Moon causes a partial solar eclipse
30 Moon at perigee (222,530 miles from Earth)
News of the Worlds
March begins with a display of planets in the western sky. Mercury (mag.-1, fading to 0.5) makes its final appearance in the evening sky, reaching greatest elongation (18° east of the Sun) on March 8. Our innermost planet meets Venus (mag.-4.4) on the 13th. Then both disappear into the setting Sun; Venus reaches inferior conjunction on March 22 and Mercury on March 24. Both reappear in the morning sky next month.
Also disappearing from the evening sky is Saturn (mag.1.1) which reaches superior conjunction March 12. After a conjunction with Mercury on March 1, Neptune (mag. 7.8) follows the rest, reaching superior conjunction on the 19th.
So, what’s left? Uranus (mag.5.8) can be found with binoculars on the border of Aries and Taurus. The crescent Moon helps you locate it as it passes on March 4. After that, find Jupiter (mag.-2.3) in Taurus. Our largest planet sets at 1:25 AM March 1 and 12:40 by month’s end.
Mars (mag.-0.3, dimming to 0.4) can be found for most of the night in Gemini, forming a triangle with the constellation’s brightest stars, Castor and Pollux. Our red planet sets at 4:17 AM on March 1 and by 3:30 on the 31st.
If you’re in a dark-sky location, March is a good time to look for the Zodiacal Light, a softly glowing cone visible on moonless evenings, extending from the horizon through the zodiac constellations Pisces, Aries, and Taurus. It’s caused by sunlight reflecting from dust and debris left by comets along the ecliptic.
Remember to “spring forward” on the night of March 8/9 as Daylight Saving Time begins. Spring officially begins soon after as the Vernal Equinox occurs on March 20 at 5:01 AM.