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
The College of Arts