Night sky, March 2024: What you can see tonight [maps]

a graphic of the night sky with a starry sky background. A black circle is in the center with Night Sky written in white. There is a white telescope beneath the text. In the top left corner it says Space.com in cooperation with Starry Night.
Find out the latest night sky events and how to see them in this Space.com skywatching guide. (Image credit: Future)
Top telescope pick!

Celestron Astro Fi 102

(Image credit: Celestron)

Looking for a telescope for the next night sky event? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide

The night sky tonight and on any clear night offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects you can see, from stars and constellations to bright planets, the moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers.

Observing the night sky can be done with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful, and a good telescope or binoculars will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view. You can also use astronomy accessories to make your observing easier, and use our Satellite Tracker page powered by N2YO.comto find out when and how to see the International Space Station and other satellites. We also have a helpful guide on how you can see and track a Starlink satellite train

You can also capture the night sky by using any of the best cameras for astrophotography, along with a selection of the best lenses for astrophotography

Read on to find out what's up in the night sky tonight (planets visible now, moon phases, observing highlights this month) plus other resources (skywatching terms, night sky observing tips and further reading)

Related: The brightest planets in March's night sky: How to see them (and when)

Monthly skywatching information is provided to Space.com by Chris Vaughan of Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu and Chris at @Astrogeoguy

Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo and would like to share them with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Calendar of observing highlights

Sunday, March 3: Half-moon passes Antares (wee hours to sunrise)  

The waning, half-illuminated moon appears in the southeastern sky around 1:45 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, March 3, it will be positioned very close to Scorpius' brightest star, Antares. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

When the waning, half-illuminated moon appears over the rooftops in the southeastern sky around 1:45 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, March 3, it will be positioned very close to Scorpius' brightest star, Antares

Skywatchers located in southeastern North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and northeastern South America can use unaided eyes, binoculars (orange circle), and backyard telescopes to watch the moon occult Antares between about 1:55 and 3:05 a.m. EST. 

Use an astronomy app like Starry Night to determine your local times for the event. The surrounding regions will see the moon pass very close to the star. The duo will be visible until almost dawn, though the moon will have moved farther from Antares by then. 

Sunday, March 3: Third Quarter Moon 

The moon will reach its third quarter phase on Sunday, March 3 at 10:23 a.m. EST, 7:23 a.m. PST or 15:23 GMT. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

The moon will reach its third quarter phase on Sunday, March 3 at 10:23 a.m. EST, 7:23 a.m. PST or 15:23 GMT. Third quarter moons rise around midnight in your local time zone and then remain visible in the morning daytime sky. 

At third, or last, quarter the moon is 50%-illuminated, on its western side, towards the pre-dawn sun. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase are ideal for observing deep sky targets in binoculars and telescopes, especially springtime galaxies.

Sunday, March 3: Juno at opposition (all night) 

On Sunday, March 3, the major main belt asteroid Juno will reach opposition. At that time, Earth will be passing between the asteroid and the sun, minimizing our distance from Juno and causing it to appear at its brightest and largest for this year. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

On Sunday, March 3, the major main belt asteroid Juno will reach opposition. At that time, Earth will be passing between the asteroid and the sun, minimizing our distance from Juno and causing it to appear at its brightest and largest for this year. 

The magnitude 8.7 object will be visible in backyard telescopes all night long. On opposition night, Juno will be positioned in a rather featureless part of the sky below (south of) the brightest stars of Leo — specifically, a slim fist's diameter below the midpoint of the line connecting the bright stars Regulus and Denebola.  

Monday, March 4: The spectacular Orion Nebula 

The bright stars of mighty Orion, the Hunter, shine in the southwestern sky on March evenings. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

The bright stars of mighty Orion, the Hunter, shine in the southwestern sky on March evenings. The sword of Orion, which covers an area of 1.5 by 1 degrees (about the end of your thumb held up at arm's length), descends from Orion's three-starred belt. 

The patch of light in the middle of the sword is the spectacular and bright nebula known as the Orion Nebula or Messier 42 and NGC 1976. While simple binoculars will reveal the fuzzy nature of this object, medium-to-large aperture telescopes (orange circle) will show a complex pattern of veil-like gas and dark dust lanes and the Trapezium or Theta Orionis Cluster, a tight clump of young stars that formed inside the nebula. Adding an Oxygen-III or broadband nebula filter will reveal even more details. The nebula and the stars forming within it are approximately 1,350 light-years from the sun, in the Orion arm of our Milky Way galaxy. 

Thursday, March 7: Old moon visits pre-dawn planets 

Above the southeastern horizon for about an hour before sunrise on Thursday, March 7, the old crescent moon will be shining two fist diameters to the right (or 18 degrees to the celestial WSW) of the brilliant planet Venus. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Above the southeastern horizon for about an hour before sunrise on Thursday, March 7, the old crescent moon will be shining two fist diameters to the right (or 18 degrees to the celestial WSW) of the brilliant planet Venus. The far fainter planet Mars will be between them — about a palm's width from Venus towards the moon. To see Mars, you might need to use binoculars - or view the gathering from a southerly latitude. 

Friday, March 8: Mars moon and Venus triangle (before sunrise) 

After 24 hours of eastward orbital motion, the even slimmer crescent moon will be located below and between Venus and Mars above the east-southeastern horizon before sunrise on Friday, March 8. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

After 24 hours of eastward orbital motion, the even slimmer crescent moon will be located below and between Venus and Mars above the east-southeastern horizon before sunrise on Friday, March 8. The moon will be close enough to Mars for the pair to share the view in binoculars (orange circle) — but turn all optics away from the horizon before the sun begins to rise. Skywatchers located lower latitudes will see the trio more easily in a darker sky. 

Sunday, March 10: 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 10. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

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 10. 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 between 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 November 3, 2024.

Sunday, March 10: New Moon 

At 5:00 a.m. EDT, 2:00 a.m. PDT or 09:00 GMT on Sunday, March 10, the moon will officially reach its new moon phase. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

At 5:00 a.m. EDT, 2:00 a.m. PDT or 09:00 GMT on Sunday, March 10, the moon will officially reach its new moon phase. At that time it will be located in eastern Aquarius, approximately 3 degrees south 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! This new moon will occur only two hours after perigee, producing extra large tides worldwide. 

Monday, March 11: Double shadows and GRS on Jupiter 

On the evening of Monday, March 11, observers located in Central Asia can watch two shadows crossing the southern hemisphere of Jupiter, and the Great Red Spot, all at the same time. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

From time to time, observers with good-quality telescopes can watch the small, round, black shadows of the Galilean moons as they traverse Jupiter's disk. On the evening of Monday, March 11, observers located in Central Asia can watch two shadows crossing the southern hemisphere of Jupiter, and the Great Red Spot, all at the same time. At 8:10 p.m. India Standard Time (or 14:40 GMT), the large shadow of Ganymede will appear near Jupiter's southern pole and Io's small shadow and the Great Red Spot will begin to cross Jupiter's southern equatorial region. Ganymede's shadow will complete its shorter trip at 9:45 p.m. IST (or 16:15 GMT). Meanwhile, Io's shadow will outpace the GRS and depart from Jupiter at 10:18 p.m. (or 16:50 GMT), around the time that the planet will be setting. 

Tuesday, March 12: Earthshine moon below Jupiter (after sunset) 

On Tuesday, March 12, the very slender crescent of the young moon will resemble the Cheshire Cat's smile when it shines below bright Jupiter. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

On Tuesday, March 12, the very slender crescent of the young moon will resemble the Cheshire Cat's smile when it shines below bright Jupiter — setting up a wonderful widefield photo opportunity in the western sky after sunset on both Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Watch for Earthshine on the moon. 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 the new moon, when sunlight reflected off Earth and back toward the moon slightly brightens the unlit portion of the moon's Earth-facing hemisphere. 

Wednesday, March 13: Crescent moon joins Jupiter and Uranus (evening) 

After 24 hours of travel, the pretty, waxing crescent moon will climb to pose beside bright Jupiter in the western sky during the evening on Wednesday, March 13. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

After 24 hours of travel, the pretty, waxing crescent moon will climb to pose beside bright Jupiter in the western sky during the evening on Wednesday, March 13. Take a picture of them! The faint, distant planet Uranus will be located a palm's width above (or 6.5 degrees to the celestial east of) Jupiter.  

Thursday, March 14: Crescent moon passes the Pleiades (evening) 

Once the sky darkens on Thursday evening, March 14, the bright little cluster of stars named the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, and Messier 45 will be visible sparkling several finger widths above (or 3 degrees to the celestial northeast) of the waxing crescent moon. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Once the sky darkens on Thursday evening, March 14, the bright little cluster of stars named the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, and Messier 45 will be visible sparkling several finger widths above (or 3 degrees to the celestial northeast) of the waxing crescent moon. 

By the time they set shortly after midnight, the moon will have shifted to the lower edge of the cluster. To better see the Pleiades' stars, hide the moon beyond the edge of your binoculars' field of view (orange circle). Large aperture telescopes and long exposure photos can reveal faint blue nebulosity surrounding the cluster's brighter stars — but not while the moon is nearby. In Greek mythology, the stars are named for the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.

Friday, March 15: Lunar libration shows elusive Mare Australe (evening)  

Due to the moon's orbital inclination and ellipticity, it nods up and down and sways left-to-right by up to 7 degrees while keeping the same hemisphere pointed towards Earth. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Due to the moon's orbital inclination and ellipticity, it nods up and down and sways left-to-right by up to 7 degrees while keeping the same hemisphere pointed towards Earth. Over time, this lunar libration effect lets us see 59% of the moon's total surface without leaving the Earth. 

For several nights surrounding Friday, March 15, the moon's brightly lit southeastern limb will be rotated toward Earth, revealing a collection of dark patches that can be seen in a backyard telescope. Together they comprise Mare Australe, the Southern Sea. The northern and southern boundaries of the mare are dominated by the isolated dark ovals of the craters Oken and Hanno, respectively. Between them, look for the similar dark craters Brisbane Z and E and the large, lighter grey crater Lyot. The prominent scar of Vallis Rheita can guide you. As the moon descends the western sky during evening, Mare Australe will be on the moon's bottom edge. 

Saturday, March 16: Sirius sparkles like a diamond (evening) 

In mid-March, the night sky's brightest star, Sirius, or Alpha Canis Majoris, reaches its highest point over the southern horizon at around 8 p.m. local time. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

In mid-March, the night sky's brightest star, Sirius, or Alpha Canis Majoris, reaches its highest point over the southern horizon at around 8 p.m. local time. Sirius is a hot, white, A-class star. Its location is only 8.6 light-years from Earth is part of the reason for its brilliance. 

For mid-northern latitude observers, Sirius always shines in the lower third of the sky, and therefore through a thicker blanket of Earth's refracting atmosphere. This causes the strong twinkling and flashes of color the Dog Star is known for.

Sunday, March 17: First Quarter Moon 

The moon will complete the first quarter of its orbit around Earth, measuring from the previous new moon, at 12:11 a.m. EDT or 04:11 GMT on Sunday, March 17. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

The moon will complete the first quarter of its orbit around Earth, measuring from the previous new moon, at 12:11 a.m. EDT or 04:11 GMT on Sunday, March 17. (That converts to 8:11 p.m. PDT on Saturday evening, March 16.) 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 afternoon daytime sky, too. The evenings surrounding first quarter are the best ones for viewing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight. 

Monday, March 18: The moon between the twins (all night) 

On Monday, March 18, the bright, waxing gibbous moon will shine high in the southern sky within the heart of Gemini. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Once the stars appear after dusk on Monday, March 18, the bright, waxing gibbous moon will shine high in the southern sky within the heart of Gemini. That constellation's brightest stars, golden Pollux and brighter, whiter Castor above it should still be visible against the moon's glare. 

Binoculars (orange circle) will reveal a handful of smaller stars above the moon, marking where the brothers are grasping hands. As the night wears on, the moon's orbital motion will carry it towards Pollux, while the diurnal rotation of the sky shifts the constellation to the moon's right (or celestial northwest).

Tuesday, March 19: March Equinox  

On Tuesday, March 19 at 11:06 p.m. EDT or 8:06 p.m. PDT (and 03:06 GMT on Wednesday) the sun will cross the celestial equator traveling north, marking the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of northern spring. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

On Tuesday, March 19 at 11:06 p.m. EDT or 8:06 p.m. PDT (and 03:06 GMT on Wednesday) 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.

Thursday, March 21: Venus kisses Saturn (pre-dawn) 

Skywatchers located in the southern USA and other tropical latitudes can see Venus kiss Saturn in a very close dawn planetary conjunction on Thursday morning, March 21. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Skywatchers located in the southern USA and other tropical latitudes can see Venus kiss Saturn in a very close dawn planetary conjunction on Thursday morning, March 21. The two planets will be close enough to share the view in a backyard telescope on Thursday and Friday, and in binoculars (orange circle) for about five days on either side of that date — but the views of them will be hampered by the thick blanket of air they will be shining through. 

Be sure to turn all optics away from the horizon before sunrise. On Thursday, Saturn will be positioned less than a finger's width below (or 0.7 degrees to the celestial east of) Venus. On Friday, it will shift to Venus' right. For the latitude of Miami, the optimal viewing time will arrive around 7 a.m. local time. Mars will shine off to their upper right.  

Friday, March 22: The Aristarchus Plateau (all night) 

Three prominent craters break up the expanse of Oceanus Procellarum, the broad dark region on the left-hand (western) half of the moon. Large Copernicus is the easternmost crater. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Three prominent craters break up the expanse of Oceanus Procellarum, the broad dark region on the left-hand (western) half of the moon. Large Copernicus is the easternmost crater. Its extensive, ragged ray system intermingles with that of smaller Kepler to its southwest. The very bright crater Aristarchus positioned to the lunar northwest of them occupies the corner of a diamond-shaped plateau that is one of the most colorful regions on the moon. 

NASA orbiters have detected high levels of radioactive radon there. Use a telescope and high magnification to view features like the large, sinuous rille named Vallis Schröteri. Its snake-like form begins between Aristarchus and next-door Herodotus and meanders across the plateau.

Sunday, March 24: Mercury at greatest eastern elongation (after sunset) 

On the evening of Sunday, March 24, Mercury (orbit shown as red curve) will reach its widest separation of 18.7 degrees east of the sun for its current apparition. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

On the evening of Sunday, March 24, Mercury (orbit shown as red curve) will reach its widest separation of 18.7 degrees east of the sun for its current apparition. With the speedy planet sitting above a nearly vertical evening ecliptic (green line), this will be Northern Hemisphere observers' best appearance of the planet in 2024. 

The optimal viewing times at mid-northern latitudes will begin around 7:30 p.m. local time. Viewed in a telescope (inset) the planet will exhibit a waning half-illuminated phase. Mercury will be easy to see for about a week on either side of Sunday. Brighter Jupiter will shine well above the planet.  

Monday, March 25: Full Crow Moon Penumbral Lunar Eclipse 

The moon will reach its full phase on Monday, March 25 at 3:00 a.m. EDT, 12:00 a.m. PDT, or 07:00 GMT. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

The moon will reach its full phase on Monday, March 25 at 3:00 a.m. EDT, 12:00 a.m. PDT, or 07:00 GMT. 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. The indigenous Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes region call this full moon Ziissbaakdoke-giizis "Sugar Moon" or Onaabani-giizis, the "Hard Crust on the Snow Moon". For them it signifies a time to balance their lives and to celebrate the new year. The Cree of North America call it Mikisiwipisim, the "the Eagle Moon" — the month when the eagle returns. The Cherokee call it Anvyi, the "Windy Moon" when the planting cycle begins anew. 

This full moon will pass through the northern portion of the Earth's penumbral shadow, slightly darkening the moon in a penumbral lunar eclipse visible in the Americas. The lower (southern) rim of the full moon will start its trip through the shadow at 12:53 a.m. EDT (04:53 GMT). At maximum eclipse at 3:14 a.m. EDT (07:14 GMT), 96% of the moon will be immersed. The moon will slide fully clear of the penumbra at 5:33 a.m. EDT (09:33 GMT). A detectable darkening of the moon is only expected to be apparent between 2:30 and 4 a.m. EDT (06:30 to 08:00 GMT). This lunar eclipse will be followed two weeks later by the total solar eclipse on April 8

Wednesday, March 27: Evening zodiacal light (after dusk) 

Starting on Wednesday, March 27, 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 around the planet Jupiter. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

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 April 8. Starting on Wednesday, March 27, 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 around the planet Jupiter. 

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.  

Saturday, March 30: Bright moon approaches Antares (pre-dawn) 

When the waning gibbous moon rises in the southeast after midnight on Saturday morning, March 30, it will be perched to the upper right of Scorpius' brightest star, red Antares. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

When the waning gibbous moon rises in the southeast after midnight on Saturday morning, March 30, it will be perched to the upper right of Scorpius' brightest star, red Antares. As the hours pass, the moon will slide closer to the star and the diurnal rotation of the sky will lift the star to the moon's left. By dawn, the pair will shine low in the southwestern sky.

Skywatchers in more westerly time zones will see the moon even closer to Antares and observers in northeastern Melanesia and most of Polynesia can watch the moon occult Antares around 5 a.m.


Visible planets in February

Mercury

As March begins, Mercury will be climbing away from the sun in the western, post-sunset sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

As March begins, Mercury will be climbing away from the sun in the western, post-sunset sky. It will become visible just above the horizon after the first week of the month, and then it will rapidly ascend above a nearly vertical evening ecliptic, producing the best evening appearance of the planet in 2024 for Northern Hemisphere observers and a very poor one for the Southern Hemisphere. The planet will be waning in its illuminated phase and diminishing in brightness all month long. 

Mercury will reach peak visibility around mid-month, when it will show a gibbous, football shape in telescopes, shine at magnitude -1.0, and set about 80 minutes after the sun. On March 24, Mercury will reach its greatest elongation of 18.7 degrees east of the sun. The optimal viewing times at mid-northern latitudes will then begin around 7:30 p.m. local time, but by then the planet will shine half as brightly and show a 42%-illuminated crescent. 

In a telescope, Mercury's disk will appear 7.5 arc-seconds across. Mercury will remain well above the sun for the rest of March, but it will rapidly fade in brightness. The extremely young crescent moon will shine below Mercury on March 10, but wait a day to see the moon perched 10 degrees above (or celestial east of) Mercury on the 11th.

Venus

Venus will end its lengthy morning showing in March. The planet will steadily swing sunward, reducing its visibility against the brightening sky around it. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Brilliant, magnitude -3.8 Venus will end its lengthy morning showing in March. The planet, which will already be positioned low in the southeastern sky before dawn as March begins, will steadily swing sunward through Capricornus and then Aquarius, reducing its visibility against the brightening sky around it. 

Venus' eastward motion will carry it away from far fainter Mars to its west. Meanwhile, it will move towards Saturn until March 21, when the pair of planets will pass only 0.7 degrees apart. Their conjunction will be visible from locations near the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. Viewed in a telescope during March, Venus will exhibit a waxing, nearly fully illuminated disk about 11 arc-seconds in diameter. The old crescent moon will form a triangle below Venus and Mars on March 8.

Mars

Mars will spend March in the southeastern pre-dawn sky, extending its angle from the morning sun from 28 degrees to 34 degrees. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Mars will spend March in the southeastern pre-dawn sky, extending its angle from the morning sun from 28 degrees to 34 degrees. But the slanted ecliptic at mid-northern latitudes will prevent the magnitude 1.2 red planet from shining in a dark sky. For southerly latitude observers that can see Mars in a dark sky, it will travel east through Capricornus until March 19 and then enter Aquarius. 

Mars will begin the month positioned a few finger-widths to the upper right (or 4 degrees WSW) of far brighter Venus. The two planets will draw farther apart every morning. The old crescent moon will form a triangle below Venus and Mars on March 8. At the end of March, Mars will be rising around 5:30 a.m. local time. Its position on the far side of the sun from Earth will give the planet a rather small 5 arc-seconds-wide disk in telescopes.

Jupiter

During March, Jupiter will continue to appear as a brilliant, white beacon descending the western sky after sunset. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

During March, Jupiter will continue to appear as a brilliant, white beacon descending the western sky after sunset. The magnitude -2.1 planet will be observable in a dark sky, surrounded by the stars of southern Aries, for much of March — but Jupiter will compete with increasing amounts of twilight by the end of the month. 

Binoculars will reveal Jupiter's four large Galilean moons flanking the planet on any night. A backyard telescope will show Jupiter's equatorial zones and belts. Better quality optics will reveal the Great Red Spot on every 2nd or 3rd evening. Jupiter's Galilean satellites will eclipse and occult one another, and the round, black shadows they cast upon the planet can be seen crossing Jupiter's disk on March 10, 16, and 25 in the Americas. 

From March 1 to 31, Jupiter will decrease its separation west of 1,400 times fainter Uranus from 8.1 to 3.5 degrees. The waxing crescent moon will shine near Jupiter and below Uranus on March 13.

Saturn

Saturn will spend March increasing its angle from the pre-dawn sun. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

After passing solar conjunction on February 28, Saturn will spend March increasing its angle from the pre-dawn sun. Like Mars to its west, the tipped-over ecliptic at mid-northern latitudes will prevent the magnitude 1.0 ringed planet from shining in a dark sky in March. 

Observers in the tropics will glimpse the planet more easily and can see the old crescent moon positioned 4 degrees to the right of Saturn on March 9. 

Telescope views of Saturn will show a considerable narrowing of its ring system. Saturn will spend all of March drifting prograde eastward in Aquarius. The faster motion of Venus will overtake Saturn in a very close conjunction on March 21, when the pair of planets will pass only 0.7 degrees apart. Saturn will also be reducing its separation from Mars in late March. They'll pair up on April 10-11.

Uranus

Uranus will be observable in the western sky during early evening during March; but its steadily decreasing angle from the sun will shorten our telescope time with it. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Like nearby Jupiter, Uranus will be observable in the western sky during early evening during March; but its steadily decreasing angle from the sun will shorten our telescope time with it. The blue-green, magnitude 5.8 planet will be creeping eastward through the stars of southeastern Aries, with 1,400 times brighter Jupiter positioned below it and the Pleiades Cluster (Messier 45) above it. 

From March 1 to 31, Jupiter will reduce its separation west of Uranus from 8.1 degrees to only half of that. On March 13 the waxing crescent moon will shine below Uranus beside Jupiter. 

Neptune

Neptune will pass the sun at solar conjunction on March 17. The distant planet will enter the morning sky in late March, but it will be too close to the sun to be visible. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

Neptune will pass the sun at solar conjunction on March 17. The distant planet will enter the morning sky in late March, but it will be too close to the sun to be visible.  

Skywatching terms

Gibbous: Used to describe a planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated.

Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.

Degrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It's easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky, while a finger covers about one degree.

Visual Magnitude: This is the astronomer's scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.

Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.

Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.

Night sky observing tips

 Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe fainter objects, such as meteors, dim stars, nebulas, and galaxies, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Avoid looking at your phone's bright screen by keeping it tucked away. If you must use it, set the brightness to minimum — or cover it with clingy red film. 

Light Pollution: Even from a big city, one can see the moon, a handful of bright stars, and the brightest planets - if they are above the horizon. But to fully enjoy the heavens — especially a meteor shower, the fainter constellations, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that is the disk of our home galaxy, the Milky Way — rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you're stuck in a city or suburban area, use a tree or dark building to block ambient light (or moonlight) and help reveal fainter sky objects. If you're in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.

Prepare for skywatching: If you plan to be outside for more than a few minutes, and it's not a warm summer evening, dress more warmly than you think is necessary. An hour of winter observing can chill you to the bone. For meteor showers, a blanket or lounge chair will prove to be much more comfortable than standing, or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.

Daytime skywatching: On the days surrounding first quarter, the moon is visible in the afternoon daytime sky. At last quarter, the moon rises before sunrise and lingers into the morning daytime sky. When Venus is at a significant angle away from the sun it can often be spotted during the day as a brilliant point of light - but you'll need to consult an astronomy app to know when and where to look for it. When large sunspots develop on the sun, they can be seen without a telescope — as long as you use proper solar filters, such as eclipse glasses. Permanent eye damage can occur if you look at the sun for any length of time without protective eyewear. 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Chris Vaughan

Chris Vaughan, aka @astrogeoguy, is an award-winning astronomer and Earth scientist with Astrogeo.ca, based near Toronto, Canada. He is a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and hosts their Insider's Guide to the Galaxy webcasts on YouTube. An avid visual astronomer, Chris operates the historic 74˝ telescope at the David Dunlap Observatory. He frequently organizes local star parties and solar astronomy sessions, and regularly delivers presentations about astronomy and Earth and planetary science, to students and the public in his Digital Starlab portable planetarium. His weekly Astronomy Skylights blog at www.AstroGeo.ca is enjoyed by readers worldwide. He is a regular contributor to SkyNews magazine, writes the monthly Night Sky Calendar for Space.com in cooperation with Simulation Curriculum, the creators of Starry Night and SkySafari, and content for several popular astronomy apps. His book "110 Things to See with a Telescope", was released in 2021.

  • Malcolm
    Hi MMohammad,
    Thank you for your gracious welcome via email, though I fear we are ‘light years’ away from each other (as my comment shows, if it stays and is not censored) when it comes to this Earth and the Universe in which we live. I am no expert but each to their own beliefs.
    Regards,
    Malcolm
    Reply
  • corey555
    Black holes don't exist
    Reply
  • Skyguy712
    corey555 said:
    Black holes don't exist
    so much cap like if they don't exist then it's all most impossible for the universe to exist, i have a theory of the big bang, the white hole theory, i believe that a black hole had held gas and dust for millions of years and then it got older and older that it had died and spit up the dust and matter and gas and such, then it all collided making planets and such
    Reply