The Moon stages some especially close encounters with bright stars and planets this month. Mercury is putting in one of its best appearances of the year, in the evening sky. Leo springs across the night, and is high in the east at nightfall by month’s end.
The full Moon of March is known as the Sap Moon, Worm Moon, or Lenten Moon.
Perigee March 1, 30
Apogee March 17
Moon phases are Central Time
The stars that mark the scorpion’s stinger are low in the south tonight, to the lower left of Antares, the scorpion’s brightest star. The two stars are side by side, with the one on the left a bit brighter than the one at the stinger’s tip.
Scorpius is in the south and southwest on July evenings. Its head stands to the upper right of orange Antares, the scorpion’s brightest star, and is outlined by three stars. From top to bottom, they are known as Beta, Delta, and Pi Scorpii.
The scorpion is in the south as night falls, quite low above the horizon, and wheels across the southwest later on. Many cultures have seen the outline of a wide head, a slightly curved body, and a sharply curved tail complete with stinger in these stars.
The planet Venus and the star Aldebaran are teaming up in the eastern sky at dawn the next few days. Venus is the brilliant “morning star,” while Aldebaran shines bright orange. Venus will stand close above Aldebaran tomorrow.
Leo, the celestial lion, is in the west as darkness falls. It is dropping toward the horizon head first, like a lion pouncing on its prey. Its brightest star, Regulus, is quite low in the sky, so any obstructions on the horizon will block it from view.
The Moon is full tonight as it aligns opposite the Sun in our sky. Because this time of year can bring stormy weather, it’s known as the Thunder Moon.
The sky looks different every night. Stars and planets move from night to night, with each night presenting a new canvas to admire. Yet one modestly bright star remains the same. The pole star, Polaris, always stands due north, anchoring the night sky.
The Moon has a beautiful companion tonight: the planet Saturn. It lurks quite close to the lower right of the Moon at nightfall, and looks like a bright golden star. It stays close to the Moon all night.
Antares, the scorpion’s bright orange heart, stands close to the lower right of the Moon at nightfall. The brighter planet Saturn is a little farther to the lower left of the Moon.
Aquila, the eagle, is in the eastern sky on summer evenings. As night falls, it stands to the lower right of Cygnus, the swan, another celestial bird that soars through the summer Milky Way.
