On Saturday, brilliant Venus rises in the east at 4:35 a.m., followed by Mercury about an hour and a half later. Jupiter has already set at 4:05 a.m., only to rise at 1 p.m. that afternoon. On that morning, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and the dwarf planet Ceres are spread across the dawn sky.
During March, the moon and the planets will be a splendid sight. On the evening of March 9, Jupiter and the waxing crescent moon travel together through the night. On the evening of March 18, look for the full moon 3 degrees from Mars and Spica, the bright star in Virgo.
On March 21, Saturn is only 2 degrees from the waning gibbous moon. Finally, on the morning of March 27, a sliver of the waning crescent moon is within 2 degrees of Venus. All of these events can be viewed within the field of 7 x 50 binoculars.
Uranus disappears into the evening twilight early in March. If you have a clear view of the east-southeast horizon, look for Neptune only 1 degree from Mercury at 7:40 a.m. on March 22. Place Mercury in the center of your binocular field, and Neptune will be at the 10 o’clock position. Between them will be the star Sigma Aquarii, slightly dimmer than Neptune.
Last year a 14th moon of Neptune was found, and the discoverer, Mark Showalter, has suggested that it be named Polyphemus. Polyphemus was a son of Neptune, and in Greek mythology was the Cyclops who had his single eye poked out by Odysseus.
Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. March 9. The equinox occurs this year on March 20, when the plane of Earth’s equator passes the center of the sun, and day and night are about equal length.
Q&A
Q: What is a good comprehensive guide to the night sky? — M.R., Akron
A: Both Sky and Telescope and Astronomy magazines have excellent guides to what can be viewed over the month. The magazines also each have digital editions on the Internet, and many other websites can be found with a simple search.
You may also secure software, such as Starry Night, and two free programs are available for downloading: Stellarium and Nightshade.
I find that the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s yearly edition of the Observer’s Handbook to be the one best source. Not only does it have a month-to-month guide to the night sky, it contains an absolute wealth of information covering most all things celestial.
Programs
The Hoover-Price Planetarium will present African-American Astronomers, Astronauts & Astrophysicists as a second show on weekends through April 27, after the normally scheduled showing of The Universe at Large, our new program for 2014. The special presentation is designed to accompany the McKinley Museum’s current Keller Gallery exhibit, Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight.
The programs will be begin at 1 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. The planetarium is free with museum admission.
David L. Richards is director of the Hoover-Price Planetarium at the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, Canton, 44708, www.mckinleymuseum.org. He can be reached at 330-455-7043 or email hooverpriceplanetarium@hotmail.com.
