The Lagoon Nebula (M8) is only one of greater than 100 objects on Messier’s well-known checklist you could attempt to catch in a single evening this week. Credit score: Joel Tonyan (Flickr)
Friday, March 8
Jupiter’s moon Europa, which just lately made headlines after NASA’s Juno spacecraft measured the amount of oxygen it produces, performs a disappearing act this night because it slips behind and is occulted by the gas giant. Shortly earlier than this occurs, its fellow moon, Io, reappears from inside the planet’s shadow.
At sundown, Jupiter is excessive within the west, shining at magnitude –2.1 because the brightest object in Aries the Ram. For these within the japanese half of the U.S., Jupiter begins the evening with three seen moons: Europa alone to the west and Ganymede (nearer) and Callisto to the east.
However preserve watching — simply after 8 P.M. EST, Io pops into view to Jupiter’s northeast, because it passes out of the planet’s shadow and into the daylight. In the meantime, Europa is closing in from the west, even because the planet units for these on the East Coast. Round 9:30 P.M. CST, the icy moon disappears behind the planet’s limb; by tomorrow evening, it’s going to stand far east of the planet, with Io now alone to the west.
Dawn: 6:21 A.M.
Sundown: 6:00 P.M.
Moonrise: 5:40 A.M.
Moonset: 4:03 P.M.
Moon Section: Waning crescent (4%)
*Occasions for dawn, sundown, moonrise, and moonset are given in native time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. native time from the identical location.
Saturday, March 9
You may be capable of catch your first view of Mercury for the month this night, because the planet shines at magnitude –1.5 and follows the sinking Solar down within the west. Some half-hour after sundown, the solar system’s smallest planet is simply 3° excessive, doable to catch with binoculars or a telescope for those who’ve bought a transparent western horizon.
However don’t spend too a lot time making an attempt to catch it, as a result of tonight marks 2024’s first — and finest — likelihood to run the well-known Messier marathon, throughout which observers attempt to web all 109 (or 110, relying on the way you’re counting) of Messier’s objects in a single evening. In keeping with Lowell Observatory’s Tom Polakis, observers between 9° and 24° north latitude ought to be capable of observe all 110 targets in a single day tonight. There’s a second likelihood coming in April, although not all 110 objects might be seen then.
If you happen to’re up for the problem, Astronomy contributing editor Michael E. Bakich recommends at the least a 3-inch telescope and a darkish website, although extra skilled observers with glorious skies can take a look at their mettle with binoculars. Begin with the spiral galaxy M74 in Pisces, which is about 40° excessive within the west at sundown from the U.S. Midwest. The galaxy glows at magnitude 9.4 and sits simply over 1° northeast of Eta (η) Piscium. Give attention to this spot and see how quickly after sundown you’ll be able to bag this galaxy, then transfer on to M77 in Cetus and preserve going, following this helpful list of Messier marathon targets by Bakich.
Dawn: 6:20 A.M.
Sundown: 6:01 P.M.
Moonrise: 6:11 A.M.
Moonset: 5:23 P.M.
Moon Section: Waning crescent (1%)
Sunday, March 10
If you happen to’re up in a single day working your Messier marathon, take be aware: Daylight saving time begins this morning. In areas that observe the time change, clocks will “spring ahead” at 2 A.M. native time, skipping proper to three A.M.
The Moon reaches perigee, the closest level to Earth in its orbit, shortly after, at 3:04 A.M. EDT. At the moment, Luna will sit 221,764 miles (356,895 kilometers) away. And New Moon happens at 5:00 A.M. EDT. Observe that not all time zones could also be observing daylight time at this level.
The easiest way to spherical out your Messier marathon is with M30, a globular cluster in Capricornus. This object might be low within the southeast, a mere 3° excessive simply 10 minutes earlier than dawn (relying in your location). The cluster presently sits about 7.6° south (to the decrease proper) of Mars, which glows at magnitude 1.2 this morning. M30 itself is magnitude 7.2 and might be difficult — however hopefully not not possible — to select within the brightening twilight. Do be sure that to place away your optics at the least a number of minutes earlier than the Solar rises out of your location, which can differ barely from the time under.
Dawn: 7:19 A.M.
Sundown: 7:02 P.M.
Moonrise: 7:38 A.M.
Moonset: 7:39 P.M.
Moon Section: New
Monday, March 11
With the Moon now New, take the prospect to attempt recognizing the zodiacal gentle after sundown earlier than our waxing satellite begins to brighten the night sky within the coming days.
The zodiacal gentle is a delicate glow that comes from daylight scattering off dust particles within the inside solar system, left by the passage of comets. This glow follows the airplane of the ecliptic, alongside which you’ll additionally discover the planets in our sky. Look west after the sky grows darkish following sundown. The brightest level of sunshine in that area of sky might be Jupiter, presently sitting under the V-shaped face of Taurus the Bull and the close by Pleiades star cluster. If seen out of your location, the zodiacal gentle will stretch upward from the horizon towards Jupiter, then on presumably even so far as the Pleiades.
Even for those who can’t see this phenomenon, take a while to take pleasure in Taurus and all it has to supply, from the Pleiades and Hyades to the well-known Crab Nebula, the remnant left behind by an enormous star’s explosion on the finish of its life and first on Messier’s checklist as M1.
Dawn: 7:17 A.M.
Sundown: 7:03 P.M.
Moonrise: 8:04 A.M.
Moonset: 8:59 P.M.
Moon Section: Waxing crescent (3%)
Tuesday, March 12
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is carving a path by means of Andromeda the Princess, passing due south of the well-known Andromeda Galaxy (M31) tonight.
Observers searching for this pairing will should be fast, stepping exterior shortly after sundown to catch the area earlier than it sinks too low within the northwest a number of hours after the Solar disappears. Pons-Brooks lies 9° south of M31, so that you’ll want a wide-field view to seize each without delay.
Let’s begin on the mighty galaxy, which glows at magnitude 3.4 and is seen to the bare eye below good situations. Andromeda stretches almost 180′ throughout at its longest, with its shorter axis rather less than half that. Via an eyepiece, it’s going to seemingly appear to be a softly glowing white fuzzball, maybe a bit brighter towards the central core. It lies simply 1.3° west of magnitude 4.5 Nu (ν) Andromedae.
Drop due south to seek out the comet, which has been just lately recorded round sixth magnitude — straightforward to choose up with binoculars or any small scope. Its inexperienced glow is quickly seen in pictures because the comet heads for perihelion, the closest level to the Solar in its orbit, subsequent month.
Dawn: 7:16 A.M.
Sundown: 7:04 P.M.
Moonrise: 8:30 A.M.
Moonset: 10:16 P.M.
Moon Section: Waxing crescent (8%)
Wednesday, March 13
The Moon passes 4° north of Jupiter at 9 P.M. EDT, providing a surprising post-sunset scene because the sky begins to develop darkish. The fragile crescent Moon at the moment is simply 19 p.c lit, hanging to the higher proper of the brilliant “night star” of Jupiter.
Use binoculars or a telescope to brush a bit greater than 6° above Jupiter to seek out the distant ice giant Uranus. Glowing at magnitude 5.8, the planet stretches simply over 3″ throughout and can seem as a “flat,” gray-blue disk among the many background stars. The Moon will proceed alongside the ecliptic in a single day, passing due north of Uranus early tomorrow morning.
With the Moon solely partly illuminated, it’s an important alternative to search for earthshine. This phenomenon happens when daylight bounces off Earth to gentle up the parts of the Moon’s nearside nonetheless in shadow. It’s seen with the bare eye, although observing the Moon with binoculars or a telescope will convey out the refined particulars of the dimly lit floor much more.
In the meantime, let’s discover the few shiny stars in Aries the Ram. The constellation’s alpha star is magnitude 2 Hamal, which sits about 12° to the decrease proper of Jupiter tonight. Its beta star is magnitude 2.6 Sheratan, positioned 4° southwest (to the decrease left) of Hamal. Though not seen by eye, Sheratan is a binary system with a companion confirmed through spectroscopy, which might detect the refined motions of the seen star because it orbits the secondary.
In keeping with the late stellar professional Jim Kaler, the vernal equinox — which is the place the trail of the Solar crosses the equator — was as soon as in Aries, lower than 10° south of Hamal greater than 2,000 years in the past. Immediately, nonetheless, this level lies in Pisces, due to the precession of Earth’s axis over time.
Dawn: 7:14 A.M.
Sundown: 7:06 P.M.
Moonrise: 8:58 A.M.
Moonset: 11:34 P.M.
Moon Section: Waxing crescent (16%)
Thursday, March 14
The Moon passes 3° north of Uranus at 8 A.M. EDT. Let’s journey again to this area of sky — in Aries the Ram — this night to look at one other occasion involving Jupiter’s moons. These within the japanese two-thirds of the U.S. — Japanese by means of Mountain time zones — will see Jupiter begin out the night with solely three of its 4 Galilean moons seen. Io is closing in on the planet from the east, whereas Europa (closest) and Callisto deceive Jupiter’s west.
Those self same observers will seemingly additionally catch Jupiter’s Nice Pink Spot slowly rotating off the disk. The storm crosses the central meridian of the planet round 6:45 P.M. EDT, then takes a number of extra hours to achieve the limb, shifting from east to west
At 10:09 P.M. EDT, the large moon Ganymede reappears from behind Jupiter’s northeastern limb, becoming a member of Io to the east of the planet. Lower than an hour later, Io begins a transit throughout Jupiter’s south polar areas, starting round 10:40 P.M. EDT. The transit takes simply over two hours, with Jupiter setting for many of the U.S. (besides the West Coast) earlier than Io finishes its journey simply earlier than 10 P.M. PDT.
In the meantime, there’s much more happening — Io’s shadow joins it for a transit beginning round 9:40 P.M. MDT, shortly earlier than the planet units within the Midwest. And Ganymede seems to wink out round 10:25 P.M. MDT, passing into Jupiter’s shadow when the planet is low within the Mountain time zone.
Dawn: 7:12 A.M.
Sundown: 7:07 P.M.
Moonrise: 9:31 A.M.
Moonset: —
Moon Section: Waxing crescent (25%)
Friday, March 15
Whether or not or not you had been capable of glimpse Mercury earlier within the week, tonight it will likely be a lot simpler to identify. Now magnitude –1.2, the small planet is seen for greater than an hour after the Solar disappears.
Twenty minutes after sundown, Mercury remains to be 10° excessive within the west, hanging under and barely to the best of Jupiter. Via a telescope, Mercury’s disk seems 78 p.c lit and spans 6″. The planet is heading towards its biggest elongation from the Solar, reaching that time on the twenty fourth. Because it pulls away from the Solar, the planet will dim, however it’s going to additionally seem greater within the sky and stay seen for longer every evening after sundown, affording observers extra alternatives to catch it. The following few weeks are an important likelihood to see solar system dynamics in motion.
As Mercury units tonight, the sky will develop darker and the primary shiny stars will begin to seem. Search for the W form of Cassiopeia the Queen far to Mercury’s higher proper and the V of Taurus’ face far above and to the planet’s left. Orion lies to the higher left of Taurus, with the massive, round constellation Auriga to the Bull’s higher proper.
Dawn: 7:11 A.M.
Sundown: 7:08 P.M.
Moonrise: 10:08 A.M.
Moonset: 12:48 A.M.
Moon Section: Waxing crescent (35%)
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