• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search Menu

The College of Arts & Sciences

Department of Astronomy

  • Home
  • About
    • Visit Us
    • Virtual Tour
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Code of Conduct
    • History
    • Alumni & Giving
  • Directory
    • Faculty
    • Adjunct Faculty
    • Emeriti Faculty
    • Research Associates & Postdocs
    • Graduate Students
    • Staff
  • Undergraduate
    • Astronomy Club
    • Astronomy and Astrophysics B.A.
    • Astronomy and Astrophysics B.S.
    • Physics & Astronomy and Astrophysics B.S.
    • Astronomy and Astrophysics Minor
    • Courses
    • Honors Program
    • Academic Advising
    • Research Opportunities
    • Financial Support
    • Student Experience
    • Career Preparation
  • Graduate
    • Admissions
    • Astronomy Ph.D.
    • Astrophysics Ph.D.
    • Astronomy M.A.
    • Astronomy Ph.D. Minor
    • Graduate Handbook
    • Courses
    • Research Areas
    • Graduate Experience
    • Recent Dissertations
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Previous Qualifying Exams
  • Research
    • Research Areas
    • Observatories
    • Computing Resources
    • Undergraduate Research
  • Outreach + Education
    • Kirkwood Observatory
    • Kirkwood Solar Lab
    • Informal Science Education
    • Teaching Resources
    • StarTrak
    • Bicentennial Images
    • Solar Eclipse 2024
  • News & Events
    • Departmental News
    • Highlights
    • Events
    • Colloquium Schedule
    • Tea Talk Schedule
    • Edmondson Lecture
    • Alumni News
  • Search
  • Quick Links
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
This text appears when someone is browsing using assistive technologies.
  • Kirkwood Observatory
  • Kirkwood Solar Lab
  • Informal Science Education
  • Teaching Resources
  • StarTrak
    • Star Trak Archive
  • Bicentennial Images
  • Solar Eclipse 2024
  • Home
  • Outreach + Education
  • StarTrak
  • Star Trak Archive
  • Star Trak: March 2024

Star Trak: March 2024

By: Hal Kibbey

Friday, March 1, 2024

This text appears when someone is browsing using assistive technologies.
Artist Image of Aries

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Jupiter will be a brilliant object high in the western sky in March. Early in the month it will be visible until nearly 11 p.m. local time. At month's end, however, it will be only 15 degrees above the western horizon at 9 p.m. local time and will set within about two hours. Early in the month will be the best time to get good views of Jupiter in the constellation Aries during evening twilight.

Mercury will have its best evening appearance of the year in March, increasing its elongation from the sun to 19 degrees by March 24. It will be brighter in mid-month, but it will be only 3 degrees high in the western sky 30 minutes after sunset.

On the last day of March, Venus, Saturn, and Mars will be lined up along the ecliptic, spanning 17 degrees. Mars will rise around 5:30 a.m. local time, followed 20 minutes later by Saturn. Look for the pair low in the east about 45 minutes before sunrise. Venus will rise about 15 minutes later as morning twilight swallows Mars and Saturn. Venus will remain bright enough to see as the sky lightens.

Equinox

The sun will cross the celestial equator (an extension of Earth's equator onto the sky) at 11:06 p.m. EDT March 19 heading north. This will mark the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. For the next six months in the Northern Hemisphere, the days will be longer than the nights.

Day and night are not precisely the same length at the time of the equinox. That happens on different dates for different latitudes. At higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, the date of equal day and night occurs before the March equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, this happens after the March equinox. Information about the exact time of the equinox at different places on Earth's surface is provided by the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Moon phases                                                     

The moon will be at last quarter on March 3, new on March 10, at first quarter on March 17, and full on March 25.

Author: Hal Kibbey Email: hkibbey [at] gmail.com

  • Faculty + Staff Intranet

Department of Astronomy social media channels

  • Twitter
  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Department of Astronomy

The College of Arts & Sciences

Indiana University

Copyright © 2025 The Trustees of Indiana University

Accessibility | College Scorecard | Privacy Notice

The College of Arts & Sciences

  • About
    • Visit Us
    • Virtual Tour
      • Kirkwood Observatory
      • Remote Observing Center
      • Rooftop Telescopes
      • Delaney Undergraduate Astronomy Lab (DUAL)
      • Tea Room SW 130
      • Swain West 119
      • Undergraduate Computer Cluster
      • Seminar Room
      • Swain West 208
    • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Diversity Resources
    • Code of Conduct
    • History
      • Theophilus Wylie
      • Daniel Kirkwood
      • Joseph Swain
      • First Observatory
      • Kirkwood Observatory
      • Frank K. Edmondson
      • Dr. Goethe Link and his Observatory
      • IU Asteroid Program
    • Alumni & Giving
  • Directory
    • Faculty
    • Adjunct Faculty
    • Emeriti Faculty
      • Archive
    • Research Associates & Postdocs
      • Past Research Associates & Postdocs
    • Graduate Students
      • Past Graduate Students
    • Staff
  • Undergraduate
    • Astronomy Club
    • Astronomy and Astrophysics B.A.
    • Astronomy and Astrophysics B.S.
    • Physics & Astronomy and Astrophysics B.S.
    • Astronomy and Astrophysics Minor
    • Courses
      • General Education Courses
      • Courses for Science Majors
      • Courses for Research Experience
    • Honors Program
    • Academic Advising
    • Research Opportunities
      • Alice Palma Summer Undergraduate Research Program
    • Financial Support
    • Student Experience
    • Career Preparation
      • Career Advising
  • Graduate
    • Admissions
    • Astronomy Ph.D.
    • Astrophysics Ph.D.
    • Astronomy M.A.
    • Astronomy Ph.D. Minor
    • Graduate Handbook
    • Courses
    • Research Areas
    • Graduate Experience
    • Recent Dissertations
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Previous Qualifying Exams
  • Research
    • Research Areas
      • Exoplanets
      • Stellar Astrophysics
      • Stellar Populations
      • Galaxies
      • Dynamics
    • Observatories
    • Computing Resources
    • Undergraduate Research
  • Outreach + Education
    • Kirkwood Observatory
      • Kirkwood History
      • Kirkwood Schedule
      • Kirkwood Virtual Tour
    • Kirkwood Solar Lab
    • Informal Science Education
    • Teaching Resources
      • Mini-Lab Activities
      • Web-Based Tools
      • Ethics
      • Writing
    • StarTrak
      • Star Trak Archive
    • Bicentennial Images
    • Solar Eclipse 2024
      • Solar Eclipse FAQs
  • News & Events
    • Departmental News
      • Archive
    • Highlights
    • Events
      • GLEAM 2023
        • Travel and Accommodations
        • Participant List
        • Program Schedule
        • Registration
    • Colloquium Schedule
      • Colloquium Archive
        • Schedule 2020-21
        • Schedule 2019-20
        • Schedule 2018-19
        • Schedule 2017-18
        • Schedule 2016-17
        • Schedule 2015-16
        • Schedule 2014-15
        • Schedule 2013-14
        • Schedule 2012-13
        • Schedule 2021-22
        • Schedule 2022-23
        • Schedule 2023-24
    • Tea Talk Schedule
      • Tea Talk Archive
        • 2022-23 Tea Talk Schedule
        • 2023-24 Tea Talk Schedule
    • Edmondson Lecture
    • Alumni News
  • Quick Links
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
    • Undergraduate
    • Graduate
    • Courses
      • Archive
        • Schedule 2021-22
        • Schedule 2020-21
        • Schedule 2019-20
        • Schedule 2018-19
        • Schedule 2017-18
        • Schedule 2016-17
        • Schedule 2015-16
        • Schedule 2014-15
        • Schedule 2013-14
        • Schedule 2012-13
        • Schedule 2011-12
        • Schedule 2010-11
        • Schedule 2022-23
        • Schedule 2023-24