2025, March 20: Vernal Equinox, Jupiter, Mars after Sunset

March 20, 2025: The sun reaches the vernal equinox this morning. Jupiter and Mars are visible after sunset.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:53 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:03 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Vernal Equinox, 2025

black and gray desk globe
Photo Caption – Earth Globe (Photo by lilartsy on)

The sun reaches the Vernal Equinox’s coordinates at 4:01 a.m. Central Time, signaling the beginning of astronomical spring in the northern hemisphere.  Until September 22nd, sunshine is directed at the northern regions of Earth.  North of the Arctic circle, the sun is in the sky constantly until the beginning of astronomical autumn.

The season’s duration is 92 days, 17 hours, 41 minutes. Mid-spring occurs on May 5th.

Morning Moon and Antares

Moon, Antares, March 20, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 20: The gibbous moon is near Antares in the southern sky before sunrise.

An hour before sunrise, the gibbous moon, 69% illuminated, is 20° up in the south, 3.1° to Antares’ lower right, the Scorpion’s brightest star. Later tonight, sky watchers in Australia and New Zealand see the moon occult the Scorpion’s heart. At the more southerly latitudes, Scorpius appears overhead.

Venus Double Play

Venus from Galileo (NASA photo)
Photo Caption – Venus as viewed from the Galileo spacecraft (NASA photo)

Before Venus passes between Earth and Sun, it already rises before daybreak.  At sunup, the brilliant planet is 5° up in the east.  Sky watchers with a clear natural eastern horizon and a binocular can see it.  The planet is north of the sun meaning that it rises before sunrise and is visible shortly after sundown.

Saturn is west of the sun, meaning that it rises in the eastern sky before the central star.  It is too faint to be seen.  The planet first appears through eastern morning twilight about a month.

Venus is over 5° up in the west at sundown.  A view from a spot with a clear horizon, such as across a body of water or from a hilltop, sky watchers can see the planet through a binocular.

Mercury is still in the evening sky, setting 40 minutes after the sun, but it has faded in brightness so that it is difficult to find. The western sky is brighter than the planet.

Jupiter after Sunset

Jupiter, Taurus, March 20, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 20: Bright Jupiter is in front of Taurus after sundown, high in the southwestern sky.

Jupiter and Mars are easy to locate as the sky darkens. The Jovian Giant is the bright star high in the west-southwest.  With Venus’ departure from the evening sky, Jupiter is the brightest starlike body in the sky tonight. It rambles eastward in front of Taurus, 6.7° to Aldebaran’s upper right, the Bull’s brightest star which marks the eye.  The planet is generally heading toward the horns, identified with Elnath and Zeta Tauri.

While the moon is out of the evening sky, explore the “V” of Taurus, Aldebaran and the Hyades, and the Pleiades star cluster with a binocular.

Planet Uranus is near the Pleiades.  Without the moonlight, use the binocular to look for it.

Mars and Gemini

Mars, March 20, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 20: Mars marches eastward in front of Gemini and near Castor and Pollux after nightfall.

Mars is east of Jupiter and high in the south-southeast.  It marches eastward in front of Gemini, near Castor and Pollux.  Tomorrow night it has a wide conjunction with Castor followed by a conjunction with Pollux at month’s end.

Mars fades in brightness as Earth moves faster opening a wide gap between the planets in the solar system. Its brightness depends on the Earth-Mars distance. Tonight, the Martian distance is about the average distance from Earth to the sun. The Red Planet is slightly brighter than Procyon, the Little Dog Star, nearly 20° below it.

Jupiter and Mars are visible for several weeks, until Jupiter disappears into bright twilight in about two months.  Mars fades considerably, though it is visible through late summer.

Take a look for the moon before sunrise.  Venus aficionados can try for double play of seeing the planet before sunrise and after sunset.  Easily locate Jupiter and Mars during the evening hours.

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