Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).
Brief Calendar of Events
| Date | Event |
| 6 |
Wed |
Last Quarter Moon |
| 13 |
Wed |
Gamma Normids meteor shower |
| 14 |
Thu |
Moon at apogee |
| New Moon |
| 18 |
Mon |
Comet C/2002 C1 Ikeya-Zhang at perihelion |
| 20 |
Wed |
Moon occults Saturn |
| Equinox |
| 22 |
Fri |
First Quarter Moon |
| Moon occults Jupiter |
| 27 |
Wed |
Jupiter at east quadrature |
| 28 |
Thu |
Moon at perigee |
| Full Moon |
The Sun and Moon
There are no eclipses this month.
Early this month is the best time to view the southern polar region of the Sun.
Earth reaches an equinox this month, heralding spring in the northern hemisphere and the onset of autumn in the southern hemisphere.
As seen from the Earth, the Sun is moving from the constellation Aquarius to the constellation Pisces.
Very high tides can be expected on the last day of the month when the Full Moon occurs very near to perigee.
Saturn will begin its journey behind the disk of the Moon for observers in Japan and northeastern Asia from around 7 UT on 20 March. Two days later, Jupiter will be occulted by the Moon for the last time this year but you will need to be in Iceland, Greenland or northern Canada to see this event which starts around 9 UT.
The Planets
The word planet is derived from the Greek word for "wanderer." Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars.
- Mercury
- Mercury falls back towards the Sun in the eastern sky at sunrise. Southern hemisphere observers get much the best views. This tiny planet can be found in the constellations Capricornus and Aquarius.
- Venus
- The "evening star" continues to climb higher in the sunset sky, with the best views from the northern hemisphere. Look for bright Venus in the constellations Aquarius and Pisces.
- Mars
- This month Mars travels through the constellation Aries. Start looking for it after sunset because the red planet falls below the horizon well before midnight.
- Jupiter
- Jupiter is occulted by the Moon for the last time this year on 22 March and the following day reaches east quadrature. This is a particularly interesting time to observe this gas giant through a telescope because of the interplay of shadows between the planet and its four large Galilean satellites. Jupiter sets in the morning in the constellation Gemini.
- Saturn
- The Moon occults Saturn on 20 March. It sets a couple of hours before Jupiter and is the brightest starlike object in the constellation Taurus.
- Uranus
- Uranus begins to move out of the Sun's glare. Look for it just before sunrise in the constellation Capricornus.
- Neptune
- Neptune is also difficult to see, located in the constellation Capricornus not far from Uranus.
- Pluto
- The outermost planet in the solar system is located in the constellation Ophiuchus. It rises about midnight.
Minor Planets, Comets and Meteors
- Minor Planets
- A number of interesting minor planets populate the solar system.
- Comets
- Comet C/2002 C1 (Ikeyz-Zhang) reaches perihelion on 18 March. Visible to the naked eye, look for it low in the west just after sunset. It is moving through the constellation Pisces on its way to Andromeda.
- Meteors
- Dark skies just one day from New Moon can only enhance the Gamma Normids meteor shower.
The Celestial Sphere
Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognises 88 different constellations. The brightest stars as seen from the Earth are easy to spot but do you know their proper names? With a set of binoculars you can look for fainter objects such as nebulae and galaxies or some of the closest stars to the Sun.
Descriptions of the sky for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres are available for the following times this month. Subtract one hour from your local time if daylight savings time is in effect. (Note: These times are approximate.)
Northern Hemisphere : 45° N
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
Southern Hemisphere : 30° S
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
For More Information...
- Consult our online glossary for non-technical explanations of many of the astronomical terms used in these pages.
- Blue moons, eclipses, the dates of Easter and much more can be found at the Interactive Astronomy Pages.
- For more information about the objects and events described in SkyEye, visit these astronomy-related sites.
Credits
Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of your favourite amateur astronomy magazine available in your local bookshop. Another excellent source is the current edition of the Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell and published by the Universal Workshop at Furman University.
The image of the Sun in the SkyEye banner is courtesy of the SOHO/EIT consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Used with permission.
Copyright © 1995-2002 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman
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Obliquity
Last modified on 28 February 2002
https://www.obliquity.com/skyeye/archive/2002/mar2002.html