2025, March 1: Evening Venus-Moon Display

March 1, 2025: After nightfall, the crescent moon appears near brilliant Venus, a pretty evening Venus-Moon Display.  Mercury is nearby.

Venus and Moon, March 1, 2025
Photo Caption – Venus and Moon, March 1, 2025

PODCAST FOR THIS ARTICLE

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:25 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:41 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Today, daylight lasts 11 hours, 16 minutes.  During March 86 minutes is added to sunlight’s  duration at Chicago’s latitude.  The equinox occurs March 20 at 4:01 a.m. Central Time.

Venus-Moon Display

Venus, Mercury, Moon, March 1, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 1: Venus, Mercury, and the crescent moon are in the western sky after nightfall.

This evening a pretty Venus-Moon display occurs in the western sky after sundown.  At 45 minutes after the sun disappears below the western horizon, brilliant Venus gleams from 20° up in the west.  The crescent moon, 5% illuminated, is nearly 7° to the Evening Star’s lower left.

This is the final appearance of the moon with Venus during this evening apparition of Earth’s Twin planet.  Venus is over taking Earth and it passes between our world and the sun, known as inferior conjunction, on March 22nd. Tonight, Venus is 31 million miles from Earth.

Venus appears lower each night at the same time interval after sunset. Tonight, it sets 160 minutes after sunset.  By mid-month, its sets 70 minutes after nightfall.  Catch the planet before it leaves the western evening sky and reappears in the east-northeast before sunrise at month’s end.

Earthshine on Moon

The moon, January 15, 2021
Photo Caption – 2021, January 15: The thin waxing moon with earthshine, reflected sunlight from Earth’s features gently illuminates the lunar night.

Look for earthshine on the moon’s night portion.  Sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land softly lights the lunar night.  Photograph it with a tripod-mounted camera or a camera phone, if held steadily, with exposures up to a few seconds.

The earthshine effect is prominent through a binocular or spotting scope, though Venus and the moon tightly fit into the same binocular field.

Venus, Moon through a binocular, March 1, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 1: Venus and the crescent moon tightly fit into the same binocular field of view.

Through a telescope, Venus displays an evening crescent moon that is 14% illuminated.

Venus through telescope, March 1, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 1: Through a telescope, Venus shows an evening crescent phase that is 14% illuminated.

Mercury’s Best Evening View for 2025

Mercury, starting the best evening appearance of the year, is visible below the Venus-Moon display. Find it nearly 15° below Venus and nearly 7° above the western horizon.  Mercury appears higher in the sky for the next week when it reaches greatest elongation, its farthest separation from the sun.

Mercury passes Venus on the 12th in a wide conjunction.

Venus and Mercury are part of a four-planet parade. 

Jupiter, Taurus

Jupiter, Taurus, March 1, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 1: After sundown, Jupiter is high in the south-southwest in front of Taurus.

Bright Jupiter is high in the south-southwest, rambling eastward in front of Taurus.  It is 5.5° above Aldebaran, Taurus’ brightest star.  The Jovian Giant is headed for the Bull’s horns – Elnath and Zeta Tauri.

Mars

Mars, Gemini, March 1, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 1: Mars shines from the east-southeast with the Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollux.

Farther eastward, Mars marches eastward in front of the Gemini Twins.  The Red Planet is over halfway up in the east-southeast, 7.1° to Pollux’s upper right and 7.4° to Castor’s right.

The four bright planets and moon span nearly 110° along the ecliptic, the solar system’s plane.

Tomorrow evening, look for the moon to Venus’ upper left.  Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars again join this solar system parade.

RECENT PODCASTS

LATEST ARTICLES