March 22, 2024: The March Leo moon is near Regulus, Leo’s brightest star during the night. Mercury approaches its best morning of the year.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:50 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:06 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24
Here is today’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
Morning March Leo Moon
Two hours before sunrise, the gibbous moon, 93% illuminated, is about 10° up in the western sky. It is 2.5° to the upper right of Regulus, Leo’s brightest star. Look for the moon and the star tonight after sundown. Notice how the moon’s place in front of the stars changes from this morning.
Venus-Saturn Conjunction
Venus passes Saturn in bright twilight this morning. The duo rises only 36 minutes before the sun. This conjunction is not visible. Venus is visible under ideal weather and a clear view toward the east-southeast horizon. At fifteen minutes before daybreak, the Morning Star is less than 4° up in the sky.
Venus is moving toward a conjunction with the sun during early June, while Saturn is emerging from bright sunlight into the eastern morning sky. The Ringed Wonder is easier to see during mid-April.
The next Venus-Saturn conjunction is January 18, 2025. On that evening the pair is about 30° above the southwestern horizon at one hour after sundown.
Mars
This morning Mars rises earlier than the conjunction duo, but a binocular is needed to see it. It rises 69 minutes before the sun and about 30 minutes later, it is nearly 5° up in the east-southeast. It is not high enough in the sky at this level of twilight to see without the binocular’s optical assist.
Evening Sky
Mercury Nears Greatest Elongation
Mercury nears its maximum separation from the sun, known as the greatest elongation. This occurs in two evenings. This is the best evening view of the innermost planet for this year. The planet appears in the western evening sky two more times this year, but at its best, Mercury is low in the sky and in bright evening twilight.
This evening step outside 45 minutes after sundown. The bright star that is about one-third of the way from the horizon to overhead in the western sky is Jupiter. Mercury, dimmer than the Jovian Giant, but bright enough for visual observing, is nearly 10° above the western horizon. It is over 20° to Jupiter’s lower right.
To estimate 10°, use your fist. Extend your arm and make a fist. Against the sky, from pinky knuckle to thumb knuckle, the fist covers about 10°. Hold your fist with the pinky finger at the horizon. Mercury is near the thumb.
While the planet is bright, use a binocular to initially locate it. Each night the planet dims slightly. After greatest elongation, the planet retreats back into sunlight, dimming and appearing lower in the sky.
Jupiter is slowly moving eastward in front of Aries. Its brightest star, Hamal, is over 13° to the planet’s lower right.
Evening March Leo Moon
At this hour, the gibbous moon, 96% illuminated, is about one-third of the way up in the east-southeastern sky. It is nearly 10° east of Regulus, a bigger gap than this morning’s place.
The Full (Worm) moon occurs after midnight on the 25th.
Jupiter and Uranus in a Binocular
Jupiter and Uranus appear in the same binocular field of view. The scene is not as easy to see as it was a week ago or will be in about a week, when the moon is dimmer. Place Jupiter toward the lower right portion of the field. Uranus is toward the upper left.
Jupiter is 0.5° to the upper right of Sigma Arietis (σ Ari on the chart). Other stars, such as Pi (π Ari) and Rho (ρ Ari) are likely visible. Dimmer 53 Arietis (53 Ari) might be washed out by the moonlight. It is 0.9° to the lower right of Uranus. The planet resembles an aquamarine star. A telescope with significant magnification is needed to see the planet’s globe.
Jupiter sets less than four hours after sundown and before midnight. Each evening, the planet loses four minutes of setting time compared to sunset.
The moon appears farther westward during the night. By an hour before daybreak, it is above the western horizon.
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