Best Night Sky Events for March 2024
It’s almost spring! As the days lengthen and temperatures rise, the world erupts into a kaleidoscope of blossoms.
March unfolds as a celestial spectacle, ushering in the first equinox of the year and a subtle shift in seasons. We have a chance to spot Mercury at month's end along with a subtle lunar eclipse, and a comet worth keeping an eye on!
March 17 — First Quarter Moon
The First Quarter Moon marks the halfway point between the New Moon and the Full Moon. It appears as a half-illuminated disk with the right half visible from the Northern Hemisphere and the left half visible from the Southern Hemisphere and is visible in the afternoon and evening sky.
March 19 — March Equinox
The March equinox occurs at 9:06 p.m. The sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of spring (vernal/spring equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
March 24 — Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 18.7 degrees from the sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.
March 25 — Full Moon
The moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 12:01 a.m. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Worm Moon. This moon has also been called the Crow Moon, the Crust Moon, the Sap Moon and the Lenten Moon. This full moon marks the basis for determining when Easter will occur this year. Most folks don’t know that Easter is also an astronomical event. The date for Easter is determined by identifying the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. So the spring equinox is March 19, the next full moon occurs on March 25 and the following Sunday (Easter Sunday) is March 31.
March 25 — Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, which means it will be difficult for your eye to discern. The eclipse will be visible throughout all of North America. It begins at 9:53 p.m. and ends the next morning at 2:32 a.m. Greatest eclipse occurs at 12:13 a.m. the next morning.
March 31 — Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks (mag 5.1)
Our current Halley type comet passes close (less than one degree) from Hamal (mag 2) the brightest star in Aries. You will still need binoculars to see this comet but it should be a very easy target given its bright magnitude. Look for bright Jupiter then look right for Hamal and this comet in western sky around 9 p.m. The close proximity of Hamal and Pons-Brooks will put them in the same binocular field of view.
• • •
John Taylor is an amateur astronomer who lives in Hayden.