Mars remains in the west at dusk this month as it moves through Pisces. Mars continues to fade a little each night as Earth continues to leave it farther behind. After this month, Mars begins to be lost in the glare of the Sun.
Venus is in the west at dusk. Venus overtook Mars on February 21; now watch Venus leave behind the much dimmer Mars throughout March.
Jupiter was up all night long in February; now it is high in the east as soon as night falls. Jupiter outshines all stars we ever see at night, so it will be obvious in the east at dusk.
Saturn is in the south at dawn.
Brilliant winter stars shift towards the southwest during March. Dazzling Orion is almost due south at dusk. His three-starred belt is halfway between reddish Betelgeuse and bluish Rigel. Orion’s belt points up to Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull. To Orion’s upper left are the twin stars Castor and Pollux, marking the heads of Gemini, the Twins. You can find Sirius, the brightest star we ever see at night, by drawing a line from Orion’s belt towards the horizon. To Orion’s left, about level with Betelgeuse, is Procyon, the Little Dog Star.
From Sirius, look a little bit to the right and then straight down to the horizon. If your southern horizon is clear of clouds and tall earthly obstacles, you’ll see Canopus, the second brightest star ever visible at night. This star is so far south that most Americans never see it and many star maps made in the USA omit it. (You must be south of 37 degrees north—the latitude of the USA’s Four Corners—for Canopus to rise). As you view Canopus, keep in mind that the sky we see depends on our latitude as well as on time of year and time of night.
Joining the winter stars are stars of spring rising in the east. Look for Leo, the Lion at dusk. Later in the evening, extend the Big Dipper’s handle to ‘Arc to Arcturus’ and then ‘speed on to Spica’; these stars rise at about 10:00 in early March but by 9pm on the 31st.
Moon Phases in March 2015:
Full March 5, 12:05 pm
Last Quarter March 13, 12:48 pm
New March 20, 4:38 am
1st Quarter March 27, 2:43 am
Sunday, March 8, is the second Sunday of the month. Accordingly, Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 am on that date. (Officially, the time goes from 1:59 to 3:00 am). Don’t forget to spring forward!
At 5:45 pm on Friday, March 20, the Moon is directly overhead at the equator. This is therefore the vernal equinox. On this date everyone on Earth has the same amount of daylight and the same amount of night. The common statement that day equals night on this date would be true if the Sun were a point in our sky. Since the Sun is a disk about half a degree across in our sky, day is slightly longer than night on the equinox. For us, this is the ‘official’ start of spring; our days will continue to lengthen until the longest days of June usher in summertime. Below the equator, it is autumn, and days will continue to shorten until winter begins in June.
The New Moon of March 20 blocks the Sun, casting its shadow on the Earth. This results in a solar eclipse. Unfortunately, the shadow traces a path in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Scandinavia, making the eclipse inaccessible to us.
Click here for the full Planetarium Schedule
On most clear Saturday nights at the George Observatory, you can hear me do live star tours on the observation deck with a green laser pointer. If you’re there, listen for my announcement.
