Some highlights for the night sky in March 2006

Wednesday 1 March 2006

• Shortly after sunset look for young crescent Moon upper left to Mercury which is low on the horizon.
• Look for Mars, rather dim now, in Taurus between Aldberan and the Pleiades.

Thursday 2 March 2006

• After sunrise Mercury is even lower on the horizon and the crescent Moon is getting further away from the setting Mercury.
• Mercury, Moon, Mars and Staurn span about 128 degrees of the sky.

Sunday 5 March 2006

• Look for Moon between Mars and Pleaides in Taurus.
• Mars is moving about a half degree per night east, passing Aldeberan 7 degrees to the north on March 8th.

Thursday 9 March 2006

• Waxing gibbous Moon below Castor and Pollux of Gemini.
• Look for Saturn near Beehive cluster (Moon will be nearby these two on 10th).

Tuesday 14 March 2006

• Full Moon is at 6:35 PM Eastern Standard Time.
• A penumbral eclipse takes place this day, best seen from Europe and Africa.
• On USA east coast, Moon will already be in penumbra when it rises. Probably not much to see except perhaps at southern most edge.

Thursday 16 March 2006

• Before sunrise, look for Jupiter, Spica and Moon.
• Moon gets most close to Spica this evening, best seen in Hawaii.

Sunday 19 March 2006

• Look for waning gibbous Moon below Juipter, near Alpha Libra
• Look for Antares in Scorpius in the early morning before sunrise - a sign that summer is on its way

Tuesday 21 March 2006

• Vernal Equinox actually occurs on 20 March 2006 at 1:26 PM
• Look for Moon near Antares in Scorpius early in morning

Thursday 23 March 2006

• In late evening, Jupiter rises in Libra and it's about 150 degrees from Mars in Taurus
• Last quarter Moon is 22 March 2006, near location to look towards center of Milky Way Galaxy

Sunday 26 March 2006

• Mars and Saturn about 45 degrees apart
• Venus is at greatest eastern elongation on 22 March 2006
• Look for waning crescent Moon beneath Venus, low on horizon

Wednesday 29 March 2006

• New Moon is at 5:15 AM Eastern Standard Time
• There is a total solar eclipse this date visible from Brazil to Africa to Turkey

Good skywatching resources

• The Messier Objects list
• Abrams Planetarium Skywatcher's Diary (source of the daily events)
• SkyMap software (used to make the maps)
• The Nearest Stars
• The Brightest Stars
• Skymaps dot com (free monthly star maps)
• Planetarium Software
• About the GMU observatory

John Avellone's provided web sites

• FCPS/NOVAC EarthDial Web Cam at TJHSST Planetarium
• EarthDial Project Beta test webpage