The sky in March

Mercury is the first planet to look for as the twilight fades in early and mid-March. The little planet is highest and brightest from about March 1 through the 10th. Look low in the west about forty-five minutes after sunset; Mercury is the only bright "star" in the otherwise barren constellation Pisces, the fish.

On the evening of the 1st Mercury shines at magnitude -1.2 and sets more than an hour after the Sun. After the 12th, the planet appears to drop toward the sunset horizon as it moves between the Sun and Earth.

Venus, obscured by the glare of the Sun all month, reaches superior conjunction on the 31st.

Mars, which rises about two-and-a-half hours before sunup, brightens ever so gradually throughout the month from magnitude 1.2 to 0.9. Even at its brightest this month, it still appears as a small, shimmering disk. On the morning of the 6th, about an hour before sunrise, you'll see Mars shining well above the crescent Moon.

Jupiter, in the constellation Virgo, the virgin, rises an hour after dark at the beginning of March and a few minutes earlier every night thereafter. By month's end, the planet is rising almost at sunset, and becomes as big, bright, and close to Earth as it will be all year.

Saturn is in excellent position for evening viewing: near the top of its daily arc across the sky as twilight ends. Shining at magnitude 0.2, the planet appears with Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, the twins. The rings of Saturn are tilted to their maximum extent, twenty-five degrees, for 2005. With a high-power telescope and good atmospheric conditions, you may see the shadow of Saturn on the rings just to the east of the planet's limb.

The Moon wanes to last quarter on the 3rd at 12:36 P.M. and to new on the 10th at 4:10 A.M. Our satellite waxes to first quarter on the 17th at 2:19 P.M. and to full on the 25th at 3:58 P.M. Early on the morning of the 3rd the Moon appears to occult, or hide, the bright ruddy star Antares above North America. For Easterners the event takes place during bright twilight or after sunrise. but the sight could be spectacular over central and western regions.

The vernal equinox takes place at 7:33 A.M. on the 20th. Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere; autumn begins in the Southern.

All times are eastern standard times.

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