Skywatch March 2005

by Julene M Johnson

Skywatch Stargazing Archives

*PLANET VISIBILITY & THE VERNAL EQUINOX
This month Mercury is visible in the evening and Mars is visible in the morning. Saturn pops into view at sunset and sets before dawn. Jupiter and Mars rise at night and both will be visible until the daylight blots them from view. Venus is traveling in conjunction with the Sun and will not be visible this month. The Sun crosses the eastern intersection of the Ecliptic and Celestial Equator on March 20th at 7:34 a.m. EST marking the Vernal Equinox.

*MOON DATA
The Moon perfects waning square to the Sun on the 3rd at 12:36 p.m. EST resulting in a Third Quarter Moon. On the 7th at 10:39 p.m. EST, she reaches perigee, which is her closest distance to Earth of 225,702 miles. The New Moon resulting from the conjunction of our two luminaries occurs on the 10th at 4:10 a.m. EST. The Moon pulls ninety degrees away from the Sun by the 17th resulting in a First Quarter Moon at 2:19 p.m. EST. The Moon reaches apogee on the 19th at 5:33 p.m. EST. This is her furthest distance from Earth of 251, 560 miles. The Moon opposes the Sun on the 25th and the resulting Full phase occurs at 3:58 p.m. EST.

*MERCURY
Mercury is visible in the evening sky during the first two weeks of March in both hemispheres. You will find him low in the western sky as the skies darken with the setting Sun. There are not many bright stars in his location so this is an excellent month to spot the speedy messenger. Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation (the furthest east he can be from the Sun of 28 degrees) on the 12th at 1:00 p.m. EST. After he reaches his greatest elongation he will appear to stop, turn around a go backwards, or west, toward the Sun. Mercury stations retrograde on the 19th at 7:15 p.m. EST. Mercury will then slide between the Sun and Earth to reach inferior conjunction on the 29th at 10:00 p.m. EST. We always experience the retrogradation of the inner planets when they are between the Earth and Sun.

*VENUS
Venus, while also conjuncting the Sun this month, will not turn retrograde. This is because she is traveling on the other side of the Sun from Earth. Venus reaches superior conjunction on the 30th at 10:00 p.m. EST. The Sun will be between Earth and Venus.

*MARS
Mars rises over North America’s east-southeast horizon around 4:25 a.m. on March 1st. He is traveling through the constellation Sagittarius crossing his shoulder, back and then entering the boundary of the constellation Capricornus. Mars travels 22 degrees of the zodiac this month, making him the most exciting planet to watch. Mars lies between and a bit lower than two bright stars in Sagittarius. Nunki is the bright star that you will see to the right or west of Mars and the bright star to the left or east of Mars is Albaldah. Both of these stars will be brighter than Mars. Watch as Mars quickly pulls away from these stars as he moves east through the zodiac. By March 15th he will rise around 4:10 a.m. and be in the area of sky devoid of bright stars between Sagittarius and Capricornus. By March 31st, Mars will be in the constellation Capricornus and will rise around 3:45 a.m.

Observers in Australia will find Mars rising over the east-southeast horizon around 1:35 a.m. on the 1st. Sagittarius is rising almost straight out of the horizon. The bright star below Mars will be Albaldah. Mars will be next to that star to the right or west on the 3rd and 4th. He will make his way out of Sagittarius and through the beginning of Capricornous to sit just to the right of Dabih of Capricornous on the 29th. He will rise around 1:20 on the 31st.

*JUPITER
Jupiter rises over North America around 9:15 p.m. on March 1st. Jupiter is in the constellation Virgo. The bright alpha star Spica will rise around 9:50 on the 1st. Jupiter is retrograde this month. His motion against the fixed backdrop of the zodiac stars will be westward by 3 degrees. Notice as Jupiter pulls away from Spica this month and the difference between rise times of the two increases accordingly. By the 31st, Jupiter will rise around 7:00 p.m. as the sun sets. Look for a very bright ‘star’ to pop into view nearly due east along the horizon as the skies darken. That will be Jupiter. The rise time between Jupiter & Spica was about 35 minutes on the 1st. It will now be increased to about 55 minutes as Spica rises at 7:55 p.m. on the 31st.

Due to the sideways inclination of the Ecliptic and the rising constellation Virgo, observers in Australia will find Spica and Jupiter rising almost together. Jupiter will be further left or east than Spica. They rise around 8:30 on March 1st. By the 31st, Jupiter will rise around 6:25 p.m. followed by Spica around 6:30. Because the constellation is rising sideways, the 3 degree distance Jupiter puts between himself and Spica this month, does not amount in much of a rise time difference, but see if you notice him pull a little further left or east this month. Look for Jupiter to pop into view low almost due east along the horizon as the sun sets at the end of the month. The sky will have to get a bit darker before Spica pops into view because Jupiter is brighter than Spica.

*SATURN
Saturn will pop into view high in the southwest sky as the evening twilight encroaches on North America at the beginning of March. He is in the constellation Gemini, west of Pollux and Castor, the heads of the Twins. We won’t pick up any movement from Saturn this month against the fixed backdrop of the stars. He remains in the same degree throughout all of March. Saturn stations direct on the 22nd at 9:54 p.m. EST. What we will notice with Saturn is the movement of the Ecliptic from night to night this month. Keep your eye on Saturn and Gemini as it gets dark. As the month progresses, you will find they pop into view further east with each subsequent sunset. By month’s end, Saturn will pop into view high in the southeast sky as sunset darkens the sky. Saturn sets around 4:30 a.m. on March 2nd and 2 hours earlier, around 2:30 a.m., on March 31st.

Australian observers will notice Saturn pop into view low in the northeast sky at sunset on the 1st. Saturn sets around 2:45 a.m. on March 2nd. By month’s end, the noticeable movement of the Ecliptic at the same time from night to night, will result in Saturn being almost due north, and still low along the horizon. Saturn sets around 12:45 a.m. on the 31st.

*THE MOON DANCES WITH THE PLANETS in the NORTHERN SKY
If you are observing from the northern hemisphere, look for Mars to the left or east of the Moon on the 5th. By the morning of the 6th, the Moon will below Mars. A sky map of the morning of the 5th is available in OCA Main Public Library, depicting the constellations from Sagittarius to Virgo around 5:30 a.m. and includes the location of Mars, Moon and Jupiter. http://www.astrocollege.com/campus/libraries.cgi As the sun sets on the evening of the 11th, look for Mercury hanging slightly below a slender crescent of the recent new moon low along the western horizon. A sky map of Mercury with the Moon is also available in OCA Main Public library. On the 19th, look for Saturn to the right or west of the Moon. Saturn will be high in the evening sky as sun sets and Jupiter will be rising over the eastern horizon. A sky map of the 19th showing the Moon with Saturn and capturing Jupiter’s position is also available in the OCA Main Public Library. On the evening of the 25th the Moon will be above Jupiter and by the 26th she will have danced on by to hang below Jupiter.

*THE MOON DANCES WITH THE PLANETS in the SOUTHERN SKY
If you are observing from the southern hemisphere, look for Mars below the Moon on the 6th. The Moon will pass Mars to dance below him on the 7th. A sky map of the Moon and Mars on the 6th is available in the OCA Main Public Library; it also captures Jupiter’s position. http://www.astrocollege.com/campus/libraries.cgi Looking west at sunset on the 11th you may be able to catch Mercury setting just after the Moon if the skies are dark enough. A sky map of Mercury with the Moon on this day is available in the OCA Main Public Library. Look for Saturn above and slightly east of the Moon on the 18th. By the 19th, the Moon will pass Saturn and be further east than Saturn. On the 26th the Moon dances in conjunction with Jupiter. This is an occultation for the southwest tip of Australia, Antarctica and the South Indian Ocean. A sky map of the Moon and Jupiter on the 26th is available in the OCA Main Public Library; it also depicts the position of Saturn.

Happy Stargazing! Don’t forget to try to stand an egg on end on your kitchen counter on the 20th. This is only possible at the Equinoxes. It is something fun to show the little ones around you.