In the night sky this week there will be a total eclipse of the moon on Thursday night starting at midnight continuing through 4:00 AM. The eclipse will be darkest around 2:00 AM. With the position of the Earth and moon, the moon will be hard to spot. Before the total eclipse the moon will go from white to orange to red in color. The full moon this month is called the full worm moon. As the time the earthworms start to move as the soil warms up, inviting robins as a sign of spring.
Venus shines in the southwest for a couple of hours before setting. As the second brightest object in the night sky, it reigns supreme.
Mercury pops itself from the horizon right below and to the left of Venus moving fast. Start to look around 40 minutes after sunset, binoculars will help. On Thursday they will be side by side to the left of Venus.
Jupiter is hanging out between the horns of Taurus the Bull next to the orange star Aldebaran (the eye of the bull). It is hanging around high in the southwest.
Mars is in the constellation of Gemini near the bright stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini in the east. You cannot miss it, due to its red color. The red-orange planet is overhead around 9 PM.
Orion, Canis Major, and Canis Minor are one of the most magical sights in the southern sky around 10 PM. It starts with Orion, the Hunter, which is in the southwest around 9 PM. You’ll spot his famous belt—three bright stars lined up perfectly in a row. Above the belt is Betelgeuse, a huge red star that has a warm, reddish glow, while below it is Rigel, a brilliant blue-white star that shines like a diamond. Orion is hard to miss and is often the first constellation people recognize in the winter.
Not far behind Orion comes Canis Major, the “Greater Dog”. This constellation is home to Sirius, the brightest star in the sky is to the south. Sirius steals the show with its intense, bluish-white sparkle. It’s like the sky’s spotlight! In mythology, Canis Major is one of Orion’s loyal hunting dogs, always by his side as he roams the celestial hunting grounds.
Trailing after is Canis Minor, the “Lesser Dog.” It’s a smaller constellation, but it has Procyon, a bright, cheerful-looking star. Even though Canis Minor doesn’t have as many standout stars as Canis Major, it still plays an important role in completing the picture. You can find it a bit to the northeast of Orion, lining up neatly with Sirius and the Hunter’s belt.
This is the time of the year you will notice the Zodiacal light. A couple of hours after the sun has set, there may be an eerie glow coming up from the horizon. This is sunlight (which is well below the horizon) reflecting off dust particles in space.
Do not forget that Daylight-saving time begins at 2:00 AM Sunday morning, March 9. Clocks “spring ahead” for an hour.
Enjoy this stunning celestial lineup throughout the week of March 14th! The universe has quite a spectacle in store for us.