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ROSS HOCKHAMS'S SKY GUIDE March 2024:
Well, this month is sadly even worse for planet spotting!
Mercury has passed the Sun slowly creeping up into the evening sky by the end of the month you should be able to spot it just above the setting Sun. Watch it through the month and with a telescope you maybe able to spot its subtle phase changes as it orbits our Sun.
Venus is creeping back towards the Sun now so will not really be able to be seen until a couple months
when it to will be prominent in the evening, but you may spot it just on the morning horizon.
Mars is also up just before the Sun in the morning about an hour before it rises
so you may just spot a red dot in the sunrise.
Jupiter is still the best planet to see in the night sky, you get around 3 hours after the Sun sets to spot it
before the planet sets itself.
Saturn is very close to the Sun now so will not be seen for a while sadly moving to the morning sky.
Uranus is not far from the gas giant Jupiter tucked in between the constellations Aries, Taurus, and Cetus
so to spot it you would have to do a bit of star-hopping.
Finally, Neptune sets around an hour after the Sun so will also be a very hard if impossible spot in the twilight sky.
But there is good news,
As there are loads of other deep sky objects, clusters, and cool things for us to look at instead
Mercury has passed the Sun slowly creeping up into the evening sky by the end of the month you should be able to spot it just above the setting Sun. Watch it through the month and with a telescope you maybe able to spot its subtle phase changes as it orbits our Sun.
Venus is creeping back towards the Sun now so will not really be able to be seen until a couple months
when it to will be prominent in the evening, but you may spot it just on the morning horizon.
Mars is also up just before the Sun in the morning about an hour before it rises
so you may just spot a red dot in the sunrise.
Jupiter is still the best planet to see in the night sky, you get around 3 hours after the Sun sets to spot it
before the planet sets itself.
Saturn is very close to the Sun now so will not be seen for a while sadly moving to the morning sky.
Uranus is not far from the gas giant Jupiter tucked in between the constellations Aries, Taurus, and Cetus
so to spot it you would have to do a bit of star-hopping.
Finally, Neptune sets around an hour after the Sun so will also be a very hard if impossible spot in the twilight sky.
But there is good news,
As there are loads of other deep sky objects, clusters, and cool things for us to look at instead
On The 9th, look at Jupiter to see IO transit the planet at 7pm, followed by its shadow around 8:10pm
you will catch both crossing the planet’s surface until the moon leaves at 9:20pm.
On the 10th, the Moon reaches Perigee, meaning it is at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit.
Although you wont really notice it or be able to see it as it happens as a new moon.
Which is great for deep space object hunting as its out of the way for us.
As the Sun sets on the 11th have a look for the thin crescent Moon and just below right towards the setting Sun
you may spot a tiny white dot that is Mercury slowly climbing up in the March skies.
From the 13th you can watch the Moon kind of play drafts with a few objects over the next few nights.
Starting to the right of Jupiter, hopping over it and Uranus towards the awesome star cluster (M45) Pleiades on 14th.
Then jumping over the bright blue cluster into the red Hyades cluster in the constellation Taurus (The Bull)
just to the right of the bull’s eye the star Aldebaran getting fuller and brighter as it goes.
Starting to the right of Jupiter, hopping over it and Uranus towards the awesome star cluster (M45) Pleiades on 14th.
Then jumping over the bright blue cluster into the red Hyades cluster in the constellation Taurus (The Bull)
just to the right of the bull’s eye the star Aldebaran getting fuller and brighter as it goes.
On the 16th the Moon sits below the star Elnath in the constellation Auriga (The Charioteer).
Auriga is a pentagon of stars that is also linked to Taurus.
It has some great features to see from it's trio of clusters, a leaping minnow of stars to Capella the bright white goat star. One of the clusters even has the letter Y in it which I will add to the notes for you to see and find some of these objects.
17th Is a Moon watch special as there appears to be four Lunar objects to see.
The famous X and V on the shadowed part of the Moon
where the sun hits the tips of several craters making these letters stand out from the darkness.
The crater Albategnius which with the right celestial lighting creates a funny face looking out at you from the crater.
And you can see Nessie in the crater Ptolemaeus, which is a shadow cast into it from the craters edges
that looks like the fabled Loch Ness Monster.
There is a fun but maybe tough spot for you on the 18th.
Around 2:30pm, see if you can find the planet Jupiter, During the day!
It can be seen but may be tough to find, if you do find it you may spot its moon Ganymede
transiting the bottom of the planet, followed at 3:40pm by IO.
Both will be on its surface until 4:40pm when Ganymede will drop off and IO’s shadow will join instead.
IO then leaves its shadow behind at 5:50pm, with Ganymedes shadow drifting across the bottom of the planet.
As IO’s leaves at 6:40pm as the Sun sets making this an easier spot for you, until it to drifts off at around 8:20pm.
Another Lunar object you can spot tonight is the eyes of Clavius, which are two smaller craters within Clavius that appear to peek out of the darkness at you.
On the 23rd, The Moon occult's a star in the constellation Leo (The Lion).
Around 9pm it will just brush past a star on its right-hand side covering it for about an hour before the star reappears again. Something fun to watch and you will get a real sense of the motion of the Moon in our skies.
On the 24th, Mercury will reach its highest point around this date before headed quickly back towards the Sun.
So now is the best time to spot the elusive tiny planet in the twilight sky.
There are another few daytime into night transits for you to view on the 25th.
At 5:40pm, if you spot Jupiter, IO will be transiting it, followed by its shadow around 6:30pm.
Ganymede then joins the party at 7pm, meaning you can see two moons and one shadow on the planets surface
until IO leaves around 8pm, followed by its shadow 45 minutes later with the planet then setting.
The Moon has a Penumbral Eclipse by the Earth's shadow, its sadly not best place for us as the Moon sets as it starts
but if you have a scope or binoculars and a low western horizon
you may spot it redden or slightly darken before it slips below our view.
This full Moon has many names but the Celts and Druids of the UK such as the Worm Moon, Seed or Crow Moon.
They noticed that the earth starts to warm this time of year
meaning that the earthworm casts appear inviting the return of robins.
Some tribes called this Moon the Full Crow Moon, because the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter. It was also known as the Seed Moon as it was now time for sowing. It was also called the wind or plough Moon.
At 5:40pm, if you spot Jupiter, IO will be transiting it, followed by its shadow around 6:30pm.
Ganymede then joins the party at 7pm, meaning you can see two moons and one shadow on the planets surface
until IO leaves around 8pm, followed by its shadow 45 minutes later with the planet then setting.
The Moon has a Penumbral Eclipse by the Earth's shadow, its sadly not best place for us as the Moon sets as it starts
but if you have a scope or binoculars and a low western horizon
you may spot it redden or slightly darken before it slips below our view.
This full Moon has many names but the Celts and Druids of the UK such as the Worm Moon, Seed or Crow Moon.
They noticed that the earth starts to warm this time of year
meaning that the earthworm casts appear inviting the return of robins.
Some tribes called this Moon the Full Crow Moon, because the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter. It was also known as the Seed Moon as it was now time for sowing. It was also called the wind or plough Moon.
On The 26th, as the Moon rises at 8pm, you will see the star Spica, part of the constellation Virgo (The Virgin)
appear to its right. Then the two will slowly move away from each other over the course of the night.
appear to its right. Then the two will slowly move away from each other over the course of the night.
There has been a comet whizzing through the sky this month and there have been some images
posted in the UK Astronomy Facebook Group of it looking cool with a slight tail that may be seen.
On the night of the 29th, it will cross the Coat Hanger cluster near Vulpecula (The Fox) and Sagitta (The Arrow) constellations passing through until 31st. This cluster is brilliant and with a comet also in view would make a brilliant picture opportunity.
The comet C/2021 PanSTARRS starts the month in Serpens Cauda, heading up through Aquilia (The Crow) on the 21st
then into the coat hanger on 31st then onwards to Vulpecula.
So well worth getting those binoculars and scopes out to see if you can spot it.
There has been a comet whizzing through the sky this month and there have been some images
posted in the UK Astronomy Facebook Group of it looking cool with a slight tail that may be seen.
On the night of the 29th, it will cross the Coat Hanger cluster near Vulpecula (The Fox) and Sagitta (The Arrow) constellations passing through until 31st. This cluster is brilliant and with a comet also in view would make a brilliant picture opportunity.
The comet C/2021 PanSTARRS starts the month in Serpens Cauda, heading up through Aquilia (The Crow) on the 21st
then into the coat hanger on 31st then onwards to Vulpecula.
So well worth getting those binoculars and scopes out to see if you can spot it.
There is also another comet for you to try and spot called 12/P Pons-Brooks
Which starts the month in the Constellation Pegasus, flying through the winged horse over the month
towards the constellation Aries (The Ram).
Finishing at a great spot to easily find, by the star Hamal on the 31st.
Just in time for British Summer Time to start, for our clocks to go forwards
and start to confuse the UK astronomer’s timings for things.
Two other comets that are about but not as easily seen are 13P/Olbers
which starts in the constellation Cetus (The Sea Monster) at the beginning of March
heading up towards the right of Taurus as the month goes on.
which starts in the constellation Cetus (The Sea Monster) at the beginning of March
heading up towards the right of Taurus as the month goes on.
And 62P/Tsuchinshan which although has been fading since December is still worth looking for.
Starting the month in the host of galaxies in the constellation Virgo.
It moves across slowly, drifting below the star Denebola which is the tail of Leo (The Lion).
Starting the month in the host of galaxies in the constellation Virgo.
It moves across slowly, drifting below the star Denebola which is the tail of Leo (The Lion).
UK Astronomy's Mobile planetarium sessions at Friar's Square Aylesbury:
Bobby Astalus's Astro-photography:
To view more of Bobby's amazing Astro-Photography, visit his Tik Tok channel: @astronoboa
Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander 'Odysseus' :
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