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Celestial Events

The Planets this Week

  • Mercury passed behind the sun (superior conjunction) on March 14, and will reappear at dusk by the end of the month. Starting on March 28 and for a couple of weeks thereafter, Mercury will be less than 5 degrees to the lower right of bright Venus: Look for the two planets above the western horizon, thirty minutes after sunset.
  • Venus is now visible as the Evening Star. Look for the bright planet in the glow of twilight, just above the western horizon, 30 minutes after sunset. Venus keeps moving away from the sun and will become easier to see over the coming weeks. The crescent moon will be near Venus on March 16 and 17.
  • Mars appears at dusk fairly high in the southeast. Around 9:00 p.m., the Red Planet culminates at more than 67 degrees above the south horizon, between the constellations Gemini and Leo, near the twin stars Pollux and Castor. The waxing gibbous moon will be near Mars on March 25 and 26.
  • Jupiter is presently too close to the sun and is not easily visible. The Giant Planet gradually reappears in the dawn sky in April, very low on the eastern horizon. The crescent moon will be near Jupiter on April 11 and 12.
  • Saturn is at opposition on March 22. The Ringed Planet is visible all night long: it appears above the eastern horizon around 8:00 p.m., culminates about 45 degrees high in the south around 1:00 a.m., and sets in the west at dawn. The moon will be near Saturn on March 28 and 29.

Recent Astronomical Events

Eclipses, conjunctions,
meteor showers...
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Credits.  Last Modified: 2010-03-15