2025, March 12: Venus-Mercury Conjunction, Saturn at Solar Conjunction

March 12, 2025: Venus passes Mercury after sunset – a Venus-Mercury conjunction.  Saturn passes behind the sun, its solar conjunction.

2021, May 29: Brilliant Venus shines from the west-northwest after sunset. Mercury, with some magnification, is visible to the lower right of Venus.
Photo Caption – 2021, May 29: Brilliant Venus shines from the west-northwest after sunset. Mercury, with some magnification, is visible to the lower right of Venus.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:07 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:54 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Saturn at Solar Conjunction

Saturn
Image Caption – This NASA Hubble Space Telescope photo of Saturn reveals the planet’s cloud bands and a phenomenon called ring spokes.

Saturn passes behind the sun today, its solar conjunction.  The planet slipped into evening twilight on February 22nd.  It reappears in the eastern predawn sky around April 23rd, depending on local weather.  Two mornings later, Venus, Saturn, and the waning crescent moon fit into the same binocular field of view.

Saturn, Ring-Plane Crossing
Photo Caption – In one of nature’s most dramatic examples of “now-you see-them, now-you-don’t,” NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured Saturn on May 22, 1995 as the planet’s magnificent ring system turned edge-on. This ring-plane crossing occurs approximately every 15 years when the Earth passes through Saturn’s ring plane. (NASA photo)

Meanwhile, while Saturn hides in morning twilight, the planet’s rings are edge-on March 23rd.  After its reappearance we see the southern side of the rings for the next 15 years.

Venus-Mercury Conjunction

2024 2025 Venus Evening Star
Chart Caption – 2025, March 12: Venus passes widely from Mercury after sundown.

After sunset, Mercury passes Venus in a wide conjunction.  At 45 minutes after sundown, brilliant Venus is less than 10° up in the west.  Find an observing location with a clear view in that direction.  A hilltop or elevated structure helps with the planets’ sighting.

Venus-Mercury conjunction through a binocular, March 12, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 12: Through a binocular Venus and Mercury appear together.

Mercury is 5.5° to Venus’ left.  After its greatest elongation, the planet fades rapidly.  Use a binocular to see the speedy planet and Venus together.

Mercury and Venus are quickly retreating into evening twilight.  Venus passes between Earth and the sun, known as inferior conjunction, on the 22nd.  Mercury follows two days later.  Then they move into the eastern sky before sunrise.

Jupiter Rambles Eastward

Jupiter, Taurus, March 12, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 12: At 45 minutes after sunset, Jupiter is high in the southwestern sky.

This evening, bright Jupiter is high in the southwest at 45 minutes after nightfall.  It rambles eastward in front of Taurus, 6.1° above Aldebaran, the Bull’s brightest star.  The gap between the planet and the star continues to widen gently as the Jovian Giant heads toward the horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri.

Mars with Gemini

Mars, Gemini, March 12, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 12: After sundown, Mars marches eastward in front of Gemini, near Castor and Pollux.

Mars, the fourth bright planet in this nightly parade, is high in the southeast, over 35° east of Jupiter.  It marches eastward in front of Gemini, 6.0° to Pollux’s right and 7.2° to Castor’s lower right.  Make nightly observations to watch Mars’ eastward trek.

Moon Below Regulus

Moon, March 12, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 12: One night before a total lunar eclipse, the bright moon is in the eastern sky, below Regulus, as darkness falls.

One night before the Full moon phase and a total lunar eclipse, the bright moon, 99% illuminated, is in the eastern sky at this hour.  The lunar orb is 9.3° to Regulus’ lower left, Leo’s brightest star.

The four planets and the moon span nearly 150° of the evening sky and six zodiacal constellations from Pisces to Leo.

As Venus and Mercury disappear into evening twilight, Jupiter and Mars are easily visible throughout the spring months.  Mars is visible for evening sightings until early autumn.  Tonight look for the Venus-Mercury conjunction through a binocular.

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