Dave Mitsky
2005-Mar-01, 02:46 PM
March Calendar by Dave Mitsky
All times are UT (subtract 5 hours and when appropriate 1 calendar day for EST)
3/1 Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) passes to the east of the face-on spiral galaxy NGC 1300
3/2 The Galilean satellite Io enters into eclipse at 05:31
3/3 Mercury is at the ascending node; the Moon is 0.8 degree north of the first magnitude star Antares (magnitude 1.1) at 11:00 - an occultation is visible in the northern portion of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and most of North America; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 17:36
3/4 Maximum lunar libration of 7.4 degrees occurs at 16:00
3/5 The eclipsing variable star Algol (Beta Persei) is at minimum brightness (magnitude 3.4) at 09:43
3/6 The Moon is 5 degrees south of Mars at 06:00
3/8 Mercury is at perihelion; the Moon is 5 degrees south of Neptune at 00:00; the Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'54" from a distance of 363,232 kilometers, at 03:39; Algol is at minimum brightness at 06:33
3/10 New Moon (lunation 1017) occurs at 09:10; minimum lunar libration of 5.4 degrees occurs at 12:00
3/11 Algol is at minimum brightness at 03:22; the Moon is 3 degrees south of Mercury at 17:00
3/12 Mercury (magnitude -0.4) is at greatest eastern elongation (18 degrees) at 18:00
3/13 The Galilean satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) appear to the east of Jupiter in the order of their respective orbital distances at 03:00
3/14 Algol is at minimum brightness at 00:11
3/15 The Moon is 1.0 degree south of the open star cluster the Pleiades (M45) at 13:00
3/16 Algol is at minimum brightness at 21:00
3/17 Maximum lunar libration of 7.0 degrees occurs at 11:00; First Quarter Moon occurs at 19:19
3/18 Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude north
3/19 The Moon is 5 degrees north of Saturn at 16:00; Mercury is stationary at 16:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'31" from a distance of 404,846 kilometers, at 22:53
3/20 The vernal equinox occurs at 12:33
3/21 Asteroid 1 Ceres, the first asteroid to be discovered, is stationary at 20:00
3/22 The Martian equinox (the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere) occurs today; Saturn is stationary at 00:00
3/23 Asteroid 2 Pallas (magnitude 7.1) is at opposition at 07:00
3/25 Full Moon (known as the Worm, Crow, Crust, Sugar, and Sap Moon) occurs at 20:58
3/26 The Moon is 1.0 degree south of Jupiter at 16:00; minimum lunar libration of 5.1 degrees occurs at 21:00
3/27 Asteroid 10 Hygiea (magnitude 9.2) is at opposition at 01:00; Pluto is stationary at 08:00
3/29 Mercury is in inferior conjunction at 16:00
3/30 Asteroid 29 Amphitrite (magnitude 9.2) is at opposition at 10:00; the Moon is 0.7 degree north of Antares at 17:00 - an occultation is visible in the region from the Hawaiian Islands to northeastern China
3/31 Venus is in superior conjunction with the Sun at 03:00; Algol is at minimum brightness at 05:06
Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm
Mercury undergoes its best evening apparition of the year for northern observers this month. During the first half of March it decreases in brightness from -1.4 to 0.0 magnitude. On March 12 it can be seen shining at –0.4 magnitude in Pisces about 11 degrees above the western horizon a half hour after sunset.
Venus is not readily observable as it heads towards superior conjunction on March 31.
Mars continues to brighten as it leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricornus in the second half of March. By the end of the month, it's a 1.0 magnitude object that spans only 5.6”.
Jupiter shines at –2.4 magnitude between the bright stars Spica and Porrima in Virgo. The Great Red Spot transits Jupiter's central meridian at the indicated UT times on the following dates: 3/1at 02:17; 3/2 at 08:04; 3/3 at 03:55; 3/4 at 09:42; 3/5 at 05:33; 3/6 at 11:19; 3/7 at 07:11; 3/8 at 03:02; 3/9 at 08:49; 3/10 at 04:40; 3/11 at 10:26; 3/12 at 06:18; 3/13 at 02:09; 3/14 at 07:55; 3/15 at 03:47; 3/16 at 09:33; 3/17 at 05:25; 3/18 at 11:11; 3/19 07:02; 3/20 02:54; 3/21 08:40; 3/22 at 04:32; 3/23 at 10:18; 3/24 at 06:09; 3/25 at 02:01 and 11:56; 3/26 at 07:47; 3/27 at 03:38; 3/28 at 09:25; 3/29 at 05:16; 3/30 at 11:03; 3/31 at 06:54.
Saturn still resides in Gemini. Direct (eastward) motion resumes the night of March 22. Titan (magnitude 8.3), Saturn's brightest satellite, is due north of the planet on the nights of March 3 and March 19. It is due south of it on the nights of March 11 and March 27. Twelfth magnitude Iapetus is about 33" east of Saturn on the evenings of March 5, March 6, and March 7.
The outer gas giants, Uranus and Neptune, are not visible this month.
Pluto has not yet reached its prime observing period.
Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) now glows at only sixth magnitude. It passes by Polaris during the first half of the month and may sport a one to two degree long tail.
Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) dims from ninth to tenth magnitude as it journeys northward through Eridanus.
The tenth magnitude asteroid 532 Herculina passes to the south of Castor near the end of the month. Also located in Gemini, asteroid 8 Flora lies to the southwest of Pollux.
During March asteroid 2 Pallas enters the Virgo Cluster as it heads northward through Virgo. The seventh magnitude minor planet passes very close to the elliptical galaxy M49 around March 19. Two ninth magnitude asteroids, 29 Amphitrite and 10 Hygiea, are located to the south of 2 Pallas.
Look for the zodiacal light in the western sky after sundown from dark sites in early March.
Thirty binary and multiple stars for March: Struve 1173, Struve 1181, Struve 1187, Zeta Cancri, 24 Cancri, Phi-2 Cancri, Iota-1 Cancri, Struve 1245, Iota-2 Cancri, 66 Cancri, Struve 1327 (Cancer); Struve 1270, Epsilon Hydrae, 15 Hydrae, 17 Hydrae, Theta Hydrae, 27 Hydrae, Struve 1347, Struve 1357, Struve 1365 (Hydra); 3 Leonis, Struve 1360, 6 Leonis, Omicron Leonis (Leo); Struve 1274, Struve 1282, Struve 1333, 38 Lyncis, Struve 1369 (Lynx); h4046 (Puppis)
Challenge binary star for March: Struve 1216 (Hydra)
Twenty deep-sky objects for March: M44, M67, NGC 2775 (Cancer); M48, NGC 2610, NGC 2642, NGC 2811 (Hydra); NGC 2903, NGC 2964 (Leo); NGC 2859 (Leo Minor); NGC 2683 (Lynx); NGC 2567, NGC 2571 (Puppis); M81, M82, NGC 2681, NGC 2841, NGC 2950, NGC 2976, NGC 2985 (Ursa Major)
Challenge deep-sky object for March: Abell 30 (Cancer)
All times are UT (subtract 5 hours and when appropriate 1 calendar day for EST)
3/1 Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) passes to the east of the face-on spiral galaxy NGC 1300
3/2 The Galilean satellite Io enters into eclipse at 05:31
3/3 Mercury is at the ascending node; the Moon is 0.8 degree north of the first magnitude star Antares (magnitude 1.1) at 11:00 - an occultation is visible in the northern portion of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and most of North America; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 17:36
3/4 Maximum lunar libration of 7.4 degrees occurs at 16:00
3/5 The eclipsing variable star Algol (Beta Persei) is at minimum brightness (magnitude 3.4) at 09:43
3/6 The Moon is 5 degrees south of Mars at 06:00
3/8 Mercury is at perihelion; the Moon is 5 degrees south of Neptune at 00:00; the Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'54" from a distance of 363,232 kilometers, at 03:39; Algol is at minimum brightness at 06:33
3/10 New Moon (lunation 1017) occurs at 09:10; minimum lunar libration of 5.4 degrees occurs at 12:00
3/11 Algol is at minimum brightness at 03:22; the Moon is 3 degrees south of Mercury at 17:00
3/12 Mercury (magnitude -0.4) is at greatest eastern elongation (18 degrees) at 18:00
3/13 The Galilean satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) appear to the east of Jupiter in the order of their respective orbital distances at 03:00
3/14 Algol is at minimum brightness at 00:11
3/15 The Moon is 1.0 degree south of the open star cluster the Pleiades (M45) at 13:00
3/16 Algol is at minimum brightness at 21:00
3/17 Maximum lunar libration of 7.0 degrees occurs at 11:00; First Quarter Moon occurs at 19:19
3/18 Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude north
3/19 The Moon is 5 degrees north of Saturn at 16:00; Mercury is stationary at 16:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'31" from a distance of 404,846 kilometers, at 22:53
3/20 The vernal equinox occurs at 12:33
3/21 Asteroid 1 Ceres, the first asteroid to be discovered, is stationary at 20:00
3/22 The Martian equinox (the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere) occurs today; Saturn is stationary at 00:00
3/23 Asteroid 2 Pallas (magnitude 7.1) is at opposition at 07:00
3/25 Full Moon (known as the Worm, Crow, Crust, Sugar, and Sap Moon) occurs at 20:58
3/26 The Moon is 1.0 degree south of Jupiter at 16:00; minimum lunar libration of 5.1 degrees occurs at 21:00
3/27 Asteroid 10 Hygiea (magnitude 9.2) is at opposition at 01:00; Pluto is stationary at 08:00
3/29 Mercury is in inferior conjunction at 16:00
3/30 Asteroid 29 Amphitrite (magnitude 9.2) is at opposition at 10:00; the Moon is 0.7 degree north of Antares at 17:00 - an occultation is visible in the region from the Hawaiian Islands to northeastern China
3/31 Venus is in superior conjunction with the Sun at 03:00; Algol is at minimum brightness at 05:06
Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm
Mercury undergoes its best evening apparition of the year for northern observers this month. During the first half of March it decreases in brightness from -1.4 to 0.0 magnitude. On March 12 it can be seen shining at –0.4 magnitude in Pisces about 11 degrees above the western horizon a half hour after sunset.
Venus is not readily observable as it heads towards superior conjunction on March 31.
Mars continues to brighten as it leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricornus in the second half of March. By the end of the month, it's a 1.0 magnitude object that spans only 5.6”.
Jupiter shines at –2.4 magnitude between the bright stars Spica and Porrima in Virgo. The Great Red Spot transits Jupiter's central meridian at the indicated UT times on the following dates: 3/1at 02:17; 3/2 at 08:04; 3/3 at 03:55; 3/4 at 09:42; 3/5 at 05:33; 3/6 at 11:19; 3/7 at 07:11; 3/8 at 03:02; 3/9 at 08:49; 3/10 at 04:40; 3/11 at 10:26; 3/12 at 06:18; 3/13 at 02:09; 3/14 at 07:55; 3/15 at 03:47; 3/16 at 09:33; 3/17 at 05:25; 3/18 at 11:11; 3/19 07:02; 3/20 02:54; 3/21 08:40; 3/22 at 04:32; 3/23 at 10:18; 3/24 at 06:09; 3/25 at 02:01 and 11:56; 3/26 at 07:47; 3/27 at 03:38; 3/28 at 09:25; 3/29 at 05:16; 3/30 at 11:03; 3/31 at 06:54.
Saturn still resides in Gemini. Direct (eastward) motion resumes the night of March 22. Titan (magnitude 8.3), Saturn's brightest satellite, is due north of the planet on the nights of March 3 and March 19. It is due south of it on the nights of March 11 and March 27. Twelfth magnitude Iapetus is about 33" east of Saturn on the evenings of March 5, March 6, and March 7.
The outer gas giants, Uranus and Neptune, are not visible this month.
Pluto has not yet reached its prime observing period.
Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) now glows at only sixth magnitude. It passes by Polaris during the first half of the month and may sport a one to two degree long tail.
Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) dims from ninth to tenth magnitude as it journeys northward through Eridanus.
The tenth magnitude asteroid 532 Herculina passes to the south of Castor near the end of the month. Also located in Gemini, asteroid 8 Flora lies to the southwest of Pollux.
During March asteroid 2 Pallas enters the Virgo Cluster as it heads northward through Virgo. The seventh magnitude minor planet passes very close to the elliptical galaxy M49 around March 19. Two ninth magnitude asteroids, 29 Amphitrite and 10 Hygiea, are located to the south of 2 Pallas.
Look for the zodiacal light in the western sky after sundown from dark sites in early March.
Thirty binary and multiple stars for March: Struve 1173, Struve 1181, Struve 1187, Zeta Cancri, 24 Cancri, Phi-2 Cancri, Iota-1 Cancri, Struve 1245, Iota-2 Cancri, 66 Cancri, Struve 1327 (Cancer); Struve 1270, Epsilon Hydrae, 15 Hydrae, 17 Hydrae, Theta Hydrae, 27 Hydrae, Struve 1347, Struve 1357, Struve 1365 (Hydra); 3 Leonis, Struve 1360, 6 Leonis, Omicron Leonis (Leo); Struve 1274, Struve 1282, Struve 1333, 38 Lyncis, Struve 1369 (Lynx); h4046 (Puppis)
Challenge binary star for March: Struve 1216 (Hydra)
Twenty deep-sky objects for March: M44, M67, NGC 2775 (Cancer); M48, NGC 2610, NGC 2642, NGC 2811 (Hydra); NGC 2903, NGC 2964 (Leo); NGC 2859 (Leo Minor); NGC 2683 (Lynx); NGC 2567, NGC 2571 (Puppis); M81, M82, NGC 2681, NGC 2841, NGC 2950, NGC 2976, NGC 2985 (Ursa Major)
Challenge deep-sky object for March: Abell 30 (Cancer)