At any moment of the day, countless awe-inspiring celestial events are unfolding in the sky. With a universe of options, it can be hard to pin down what to observe. The purpose of this calendar is to provide a peek into what’s happening in the sky and in the world of astronomy in general and give a quick list of highlights that can jump start your own explorations.
Early March – Catch Venus in the Early Evening
After the Sun and Moon, Venus shines as the third brightest object in the sky so it is always a lovely sight to try and catch when you can. If you prefer evening observing, you will want to check out Venus in the first part of the month because by mid-March this popular observing target will have exited the evening sky as it gets set to reemerge as a morning sky presence near the end of the month. In April, early birds can look forward to catching Venus at its “greatest illuminated extent” in the pre-dawn sky on April 27.
March 8 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
On March 8th, Mercury will be in a prime position for early evening viewing for Northern Hemisphere observers. Because it is always so close to the Sun, Mercury is usually lost in its glare. But on this day the inner planet will set more than an hour behind the Sun as it reaches its greatest eastern elongation or furthest point to the east of the Sun. A clear western horizon is essential for viewing Mercury, which can be found in the Pisces constellation during the event. While Mercury will be visible as a bright point of light to the naked eye, a small telescope will be useful for those wanting to discover more details.
March 13/14 – Total Lunar Eclipse
Viewers throughout the Americas will be perfectly positioned to enjoy a spectacular total lunar eclipse that is set to occur in the late hours of March 13th or the wee hours of March 14th, depending on observing location. A total lunar eclipse occurs when a perfect alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon causes the full moon to be shrouded by Earth’s shadow. During the event, the same phenomenon that gives our sunsets their beautiful, colorful glow will cast the Moon in some shade of burnt reddish orange. How red the Moon will appear depends on Earth‘s atmospheric conditions, such as dust levels and humidity, which affect the way sunlight is filtered and refracted to light the lunar surface. The total phase of the eclipse will last for 65 minutes beginning at 2:26 a.m. EDT. The partial phase will last for 218 minutes and begins at 1:09 a.m. EDT. To learn more about the path of this eclipse, click here.
Astrophotographer Larry Byrge captured this image of the May 15, 2022, total lunar eclipse with the aid of an Explore Scientific ED102 Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor.
March 20 - March Equinox
A welcome sign of changing seasons for many, the March equinox is set to occur at 9:01 Universal Time on March 20th. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, this event is a harbinger of spring, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it heralds the arrival of autumn. The March equinox occurs when the Sun passes from south to north across the celestial equator, which lies directly above its imaginary counterpart - Earth’s equator. No matter where you are located, on this date, the Sun rises due east and sets due west, and day and night are almost equal in length.
March 29 – Partial Solar Eclipse
Each day, the Sun blazes across the sky to little celebration. But on March 29, observers in northeastern North America, Greenland, Iceland, Europe and parts of northwestern Africa and northwestern Russia will be giving our star all their attention as they watch a partial solar eclipse unfold from a prime viewing position. A partial solar eclipse occurs when the new Moon passes off center between the Sun and the Earth and temporarily obscures a portion of the Sun’s disc. The length of the eclipse and the amount of Sun coverage varies based on location. For more information on the path and timing of this event, visit www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2025-march-29. When it comes to viewing a solar eclipse, proper eye protection should always be your main concern. NEVER point a telescope or binoculars at or near the Sun because this action could result in immediate and permanent blindness. To safely enjoy this event, you can use solar eclipse glasses, outfit your optical device with approved solar filters, make your own pinhole projector or look at shadows on the ground or on walls.
CONSTELLATION SPOTLIGHT:
Ursa Major
Like the “Great Bear” it is meant to represent, the Ursa Major Constellation is a domineering force that rises to prominence in the Northern Hemisphere’s skies as winter fades into spring. Encompassing a 1,280 square degree area of celestial real estate, Ursa Major is the third largest constellation and is one of the most recognizable due in large part to the Big Dipper asterism that resides within it. Like Orion’s Belt, this well-known star pattern is a key orientation point for those seeking to navigate the skies. The Big Dipper is defined by seven stars - Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar and Alkaid. Observers can draw an imaginary line from Merak through Dubhe, which make up the outer edge of the Big Dipper’s “bowl” and are often referred to as the Pointers, to locate Polaris, the North Star. They can also follow an imaginary line that extends from the “handle” end of the asterism to find the showy red giant Arcturus. Ursa Major also contains the visual companion stars Mizar and Alcor, which are sometimes called the “Horse and Rider.” These stars, which are actually multiple star systems, show up nicely in binoculars.
When it comes to deep sky offerings, the galaxy-rich Ursa Major is loaded with breathtaking targets for amateur astronomers. Two of the most popular destinations are Messier 81 or Bode’s Galaxy, which is a well-defined spiral structure that truly blossoms when viewed through a telescope; and the fainter Messier 82 or Cigar Galaxy, which is a starburst galaxy full of young stars. Other notables include the Pinwheel Galaxy, a flashy grand design spiral galaxy that proudly displays its impressive arm structure when viewed through a telescope; and the more elusive Owl Nebula, which is a planetary nebula with a greenish hue marred by two dark voids characterized as owl eyes. The constellation also has some well-known barred spiral galaxies and a fairly-rare dwarf spiral galaxy.
Astrophotographer Matthew Walshe captured this image of Messier 81 in the Ursa Major constellation with the aid of an Explore Scientific PMC-Eight GoTo Mount.
WANT TO NAVIGATE THE NIGHT SKY WITH EASE?
The Tirion Double-Sided Multi-Latitude Planisphere is a comprehensive sky map for northern hemisphere stargazers located between the equator and latitude 60° north that makes it easy to identify what constellations and major celestial objects are up in your night sky based on the date and time.
This night sky guide, which features maps crafted by noted celestial cartographer Wil Tirion, uses a double-sided design to minimize the distortion that is inherent to any polar-centered projection. This design choice means observers can see truer representations of the constellations located outside the equator (noted by a green line) by simply flipping the planisphere over.
In addition to showcasing constellations, this planisphere indicates the location of notable variable stars, open clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Other features include a line representing the ecliptic, a faint blue band for the Milky Way and a magnitude scale that indicates the brightness of the stars that are shown.
This astronomy planisphere is made of durable plastic that easily wipes clean, and the rotating components are secured with sturdy brass rivets for smooth manipulation. Guidance for using your sky map is printed on the device for quick reference.