The biggest deal in the night sky in March is a total eclipse of the moon on the night of March 13-14.
A total lunar eclipse happens when the full moon passes directly into the shadow cast by the Earth.
This doesn’t happen every month because of the moon’s 5-degree orbital tilt around the Earth.
The moon will enter the lighter penumbral portion of Earth’s shadow at 11:56 p.m. EDT on March 13 (We will have changed to daylight saving time on March 9), and the moon will enter the umbra (Earth’s darker main shadow) at 1:09 a.m. EDT on March 14.
Crater by crater, plain by plain, the moon’s surface will darken and take on a deep reddish-orange glow. Sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere will scatter blue light and let red light continue onto the moon’s surface.
Totality begins at 2:26 a.m. EDT — maximum eclipse at 2:59 a.m. — with totality lasting a full 66 minutes, ending at 3:32 a.m. The final partial phase of the eclipse ends at 4:48 a.m.
Lunar eclipses last much longer than solar eclipses because the Earth’s shadow is so much larger than the moon’s shadow. So we do not need to be poised to see a totality of a solar eclipse that will last for only one to seven minutes at most.
The entire lunar eclipse from partial through totality to end of partial lasts over 3 1/2 hours. This allows plenty of time to see it anywhere along the way through the late night-early morning of March 13-14.
This is a special treat for sky-watchers even though it is late during the overnight. It is worth getting up to see; but as always, we have to hope for clear skies.
Venus’ orbit begins to take it lower in our skies and down toward the western horizon all month, but it will remain the most obvious planet to see this month because it is so bright.
Indeed on March 1, the slim crescent moon will be found just below and left of Venus. It also will be joined by Mercury just below this moon, 40 to 60 minutes after sunset.
Venus will appear to descend to the horizon fairly quickly. By March 22, it will be pretty much lost in the sun’s glare, but it will quickly re-appear in the eastern morning sky by April 1. Before that Mercury will gain some altitude after March 1, so that it will be side by side with Venus on the 13th.
Jupiter continues to shine brightly among the stars of Taurus the bull all month, high in the southwestern sky. It will set by 1 a.m. by March 31, but telescopic view of the giant planet will yield many good sights of its moons and colored cloud bands (atmosphere).
Jupiter also will get just slightly dimmer all month.
Saturn is invisible this month but will re-appear later in April in the eastern morning sky before sunup.
Mars is visible all month starting high up in the eastern sky at sunset.
On March 8, look close to Mars where a gibbous moon will be seen, both among the stars of Gemini the twins.
Mars loses some brightness this month as it moves farther from Earth in its orbit, but some surface features and the northern polar ice cap may be seen by sky-watchers with telescopes.
Finally, the vernal (spring) equinox arrives on March 20 at 5:01 a.m. EDT, with daylight hours and nighttime hours about equal — with daylight continuing to increase moving forward.
The March full moon (in eclipse), as noted earlier, is on March 14.