2025, March 31: Mars-Pollux Conjunction, Evening Moon

March 31, 2025:  A Mars-Pollux conjunction occurs tonight.  Venus is visible before sunrise, while Jupiter joins Mars after sundown.

2022, February 26: Venus, Mars, and the moon before sunrise in the southeast.
Photo Caption – 2022, February 26: Venus, Mars, and the moon before sunrise in the southeast.

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:35 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:15 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

March ends with 12 hours, 40 minutes of daylight. During the month daytime increased 84 minutes.

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Morning Star Venus

Venus, March 31, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 31: Brilliant Venus is low in the east during bright morning twilight.

Before sunrise, brilliant Venus stands above the eastern horizon during bright morning twilight.  At 30 minutes before sunup, it is about 5° above the horizon.

New Moon in the Arms of the Old Moon

New Moon in the arms of the old moon, March 31, 2025
New Moon in the arms of the old moon, March 31, 2025

A pretty crescent moon is in the western sky after sundown – an Old moon in the New moon’s arms.  The lunar crescent, over 20° up in the west and 10% illuminated, is over 10° to Hamal’s upper left and less than 15° to the Pleiades’ lower right, a star cluster that resembles a tiny dipper.

Earthshine
Photo Caption – Earthshine

The old moon is shown in the gentle glow of the lunar night.  Earthshine – reflected sunlight from Earth’s features – softly lights the lunar darkness.

Jupiter and Taurus

Jupiter, March 31, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, March 31: Jupiter rambles eastward in front of Taurus in the western sky an hour after sunset.

Bright Jupiter is nearly 30° to the moon’s upper left.  The Jovian Giant outshines all stars in the sky tonight.  It rambles eastward in front of Taurus, nearly midway from Aldebaran, the Bull’s brightest star, and the horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri.

Mars-Pollux Conjunction

Mars-Pollux conjunction, March 31, 2025
Chart Caption – 20205, March 31: Mars passes Pollux for the third and final time in a triple conjunction high in the south-southwest.

Farther eastward, Mars is high in the south-southwest.  Tonight, Mars passes Pollux for the third and final time in a triple conjunction. The gap from the Red Planet to the star is 4.0°.

Mars, 2024-2025
Chart Caption – 2024-2025: Mars reaches opposition as it retrogrades in front of Gemini.

The first Mars-Pollux conjunction occurred October 19th when Mars marched eastward.  After Mars’ retrograde began on December 6th, the second conjunction occurred on January 22.  Retrograde ended on February 23rd, followed by tonight’s third conjunction.

Mars continues to march eastward heading toward a pretty grouping with Cancer’s Beehive star cluster beginning during early May.

The next Mars-Pollux conjunction occurs September 17, 2026, in the eastern predawn sky.

Mars continues to march eastward heading toward a pretty grouping with Cancer’s Beehive star cluster beginning during early May.

Spot Celestial Wonders

The Pleiades star cluster.
Photo Caption – The Pleiades star cluster. (U.S. Naval Observatory)

This is one of the last nights to look for dimmer celestial wonders as the moon brightens.  Take a look through a binocular at the “V” of Taurus made by Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster as well as the Pleiades star cluster.

Find planet Uranus in the same binocular field with the Pleiades.  After the moon leaves the early evening sky in about two weeks, the planet is too low in altitude – height above the horizon – for easy visibility until it clears morning twilight during the summer.

Tonight, Jupiter sets after midnight, followed by Mars about three hours later and nearly three hours before sunrise.

Tomorrow evening, look for a spectacular display of the moon and the Pleiades star cluster.

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