March 9, 2025: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars are visible after sunset nightly. The moon joins tonight’s parade. Daylight Saving Time Begins Today.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:12 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:51 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Daylight Time Begins
Daylight Saving Time begins today across the US, Canada, and some regions in Mexico. At 2 a.m. local time, clocks are advanced one hour. The length of daylight only advances about three minutes from yesterday. Merely, the clock time is advanced one hour compared to sunrise and sunset. There is no additional daylight from the shift.
Four Planets and Moon after Sunset
Four bright planets and the moon are visible after sundown. At 45 minutes after sunset, locate the bright moon, 83% illuminated, in the southeastern sky. It waxes toward the Full moon phase, occurring on the 14th at 1:55 a.m. Central Time. Worm moon is this month’s seasonal name for the bright moon.
Tonight, Mars is over 13° to the lunar orb’s upper right. Mars marches eastward in front of the Gemini Twins, 6.4° to Pollux’s upper right and 7.2° to Castor’s lower right. The Red Planet passes Castor on the 21st and Pollux 10 nights later in wide conjunctions.
Jupiter with Taurus in Southwest
Looking westward, bright Jupiter is high in the southwest. It rambles eastward in front of Taurus. Tonight’s gap to Aldebaran, the Bull’s brightest star, is 5.9°. The Jovian Giant is moving toward the horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri, moving between them as the planet disappears into bright twilight during May.
Venus and Mercury in West
Finally, look toward the west. Brilliant Venus stands over 10° above the horizon. The planet is overtaking Earth and appears lower in the sky each night. It passes between Earth and the sun on the 22nd and quickly moves into the morning sky.
Tonight, Mercury is 6.1° to Venus’ lower left. They easily fit into the same binocular field. Can you see Mercury without the optical aid? Each night they are closer together. Mercury passes Venus in a wide conjunction in three nights.
Look for Them Each Night
The four bright planets span 100° along the plane of the solar system, known as the ecliptic. Look for them for several more nights before Venus and Mercury disappear into bright evening twilight, leaving Jupiter and Mars as the evening planets.
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