As spring slowly approaches, the weather (depending on the region you live in) will begin to get warmer, allowing perfect conditions to explore the night sky this March.
On March 8, Mercury will appear at its point of greatest elongation, meaning it will be at its farthest point from the Sun. This is a great opportunity for avid astronomy photographers since it will be very high and bright in the sky; be sure to aim your telescopes and cameras to the west right after sunset to see the planet.
March 14 will be a Full Moon, which is called the Worm Moon by the Indigenous or Native Americans since this was the time of the year when the ground would soften and earthworms would appear. Note that this won’t be a plain old Moon but will be a total lunar eclipse! Those fortunate enough to live in North America, Central America, and South America will be able to view this breathtaking event in the early morning hours. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon goes completely through Earth’s dark shadow, scientifically known as the umbra. In these eclipses, the Moon will appear darker and may even have a blood-red colour.
The March Equinox falls on March 20 this year and will occur around 8:58 UTC in the morning. The Sun will shine its light directly on the equator, allowing nearly equal amounts of day and night worldwide. This also marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall in the Southern Hemisphere. (This phenomenon was explained in a previous blog, so be sure to check that out!)
March 29 is a New Moon and will be a perfect opportunity to view faint objects like stars, constellations, galaxies and more because there will be no light interference from the Moon. If this still confuses you, imagine you saw your friend down a dimly lit hallway: you can barely make out their features, but you can still recognize them. Now, imagine a bright light turned on, and now you can’t see your friend that will because the light from the lamp is obstructing their view. This is similar to what the Moon does when we try to see stars–trust me, I love the Moon and all, but it sometimes gets in the way!
In case stargazing is boring for you, well get this: March 29 will also bring a Partial Solar Eclipse! Unfortunately, not all of the Sun will be covered, only parts of it (hence its name). This event can be viewed throughout Greenland, most of northern Europe and Russia, and most of Canada. Be sure to use special eyewear so as to not damage your eyes.
Be sure to keep an eye out for more events this month, and if you live in a region that is great for viewing the lunar or partial solar eclipse, be sure to check it out because these are events that are not worth missing!
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