March 2006
Orion starts tipping toward the southwest on March evenings, a sure sign that spring is approaching. Aldebaran and Mars glow to Orion's right, a pair of similar-looking orange points. A much brighter white point, Sirius, is on Orion's other side. Meanwhile, the Big Dipper is rising high in the northeast, standing on its handle. And Leo is getting high in the east.
1 Mercury stands low in the west after sunset. Look for it well below the waxing crescent Moon and perhaps a little to the right. Binoculars help.
4 Mars and Mars-like Aldebaran (just a trace dimmer) appear closest together this week; Mars is passing about seven degrees to the upper right of the orange star. Tonight, look for them far to the upper left of the Moon.
5 Mars shines just to the left or upper left of the Moon this evening, depending on your location. Aldebaran shines farther to their left. Look for the Pleiades below the Moon or to its lower right.
6 Mars and Aldebaran, both orange, are below the Moon this evening -- Mars on the right, Aldebaran on the left. Brighter Capella is farther to the Moon's upper right.
9 Saturn shines below the Moon in early evening, and to the left of the Moon later. On more or less the opposite side of the Moon, look for Pollux and Castor.
10 Saturn shines near the Moon this evening. In the western sky, Mars is seven degrees north (upper right) of similar-looking Aldebaran.
12 The Moon is at apogee.
14 Full Moon tonight, called the Egg Moon. The Moon undergoes a slight penumbral eclipse, best seen from Europe and Africa. In the northeastern Unites States and the Canadian Maritimes, look for a very faint shading on the Moon's right side as it rises in the east during twilight.
16 Spica shines quite near the Moon after they rise in midevening; try binoculars. Look for bright Arcturus, the "spring star," way off to the Moon's left, by about three fist-widths at arm's length.
18 The waning Moon rises late this evening with bright Jupiter to its left. They cross the sky together for the rest of the night.
20 The vernal equinox occurs at 12:26 p.m. CST. This is when the Sun crosses the equator heading north for the year, marking the start of spring in the northern hemisphere.
25 Venus is at greatest elongation, 47 degrees west of the Sun. Look for it shining low in the east-southeast in early dawn -- a bright "morning star" to the left or upper left of the crescent Moon.
28 The Moon is at perigee.
29 A total eclipse of the Sun crosses parts of Africa, Turkey, and Central Asia. The eclipse is partial across most of Africa, all of Europe, and most of western Asia.
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* Lunar phase times are listed for the U.S. Central Time Zone.
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