Welcome to this issue of
Qué tal in the Current Skies


Here you will find useful observing information about the visible planets, our Moon and other moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial. Among these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout. Animated images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects, or apparent and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular features include plotting the monthly positions of the visible planets using heliocentric coordinates; following - moon phases; conjunctions; Sun's apparent, and Earth's real motion along the ecliptic.


Volume 30          Issue 3
March 2024
   Month at a Glance:

     This month Jupiter remains as the lone evening planet visible above the southwestern horizon at sunset, although Mercury joins the evening scene during the last half of the month. Watch for Venus and Saturn to be near each other as the month ends with a close conjunction on the 21st. The March Equinox officialy is at 3:03 UTC (10:03 CST) when the Sun reaches the celestial coordinates of 0o and 0hr or is described as being over the Earth's equator' at 0 latitude.
     On the night of March 24th into the morning of March 25th, a subtle celestial phenomenon unfolds, a penumbral lunar eclipse. In this type of eclipse, the lighter outer part of Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. While not as dramatic as a total eclipse, you may be able to discern a darkened shading on the Moon's surface. The eclipse will be visible from parts of Antarctica, western Africa, western Europe, North and South America, Japan, and eastern Australia.
     Start Time: The penumbral eclipse begins at 4:53 UTC on March 25, 2024 (11:53 a.m. CST);
     Mid-eclipse: 7:12 UTC on March 25 (2:12 a.m. CST). At Mid-eclipse nearly all of the moon will be inside Earth's outer penumbral shadow.
     End Time: The penumbral eclipse ends at 9:33 UTC on March 25 (4:33 a.m. CDT).

Click here for the month at a glance calendar.


What is this? "It's a prediction of when Lees Summit, MO, will have good weather for astronomical observing." Click on the graphic to go to the Clear Sky web site.


Mercury will show up in the evening skies toward the middle of this month and will be well-placed for viewing by observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Venus will still be visible as a morning planet this month but due to its separation from the rising Sun and its low angle Venus will be somewhat of a challenge to see for Northern Hemisphere observers.
Mars is slowly moving away from the Sun in the morning skies but the distance to Mars from Earth means it will not be eaily seen even with optical assistance.
Dwarf Planet Ceres is located near the right elbow of Orion and is between the planets Saturn and Mars. The apparent magnitude of Ceres is only 7.8 but with photographuc equipment this Dwarf Planet and the more quickly moving Mars could be followed as they orbit eastward and cacth up with Saturn by the start of April.
Jupiter is visible but low over the southwestern horizon at sunset local time.
Saturn returns to the morning skies toward the last half of this month and gradually becomes more easily seen as it continues rising ahead of the un.
Uranus follows Jupiter as they set a couple of hours after sunset local time. With an apparent magnitude of 5.8 Uranus may be visible with the naked eye in dark enough skies, or at least with binoculars.

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March Sky Calendar

03. Antares-Moon Conjunction
      Last Quarter Moon
07. Mars-Moon Conjunction
08. Venus-Moon Conjunction
10. Moon at Perigee: 221,698 miles (356,895 km)
      New Moon
11. Moon at Ascending Node

13. Jupiter-Moon Conjunction
14. Pleiades-Moon Conjunction
16. First Quarter Moon
17. Neptune at Solar Conjunction
      Mercury at Perihelion
18. Pollux-Moon Conjunction
19. Venus at Aphelion
      March Equinox (10:06 pm CDT)

21. Venus-Saturn Conjunction
      Regulus-Moon Conjunction
23. Moon at Apogee: 252383 miles (406,292 km)
24. Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation: 18.7°E
25. Full Moon
      Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
      Moon at Descending Node
26. Spica-Moon Conjunction
30. Antares-Moon Conjunction
March 3March 3 - 6:30 am CST
March 7March 7 - 6:30 am CST
March8March 8 - 6:30 am CST
March 13March 13 - 9:00 pm CDT
March 14March 14 - 7:00 pm CDT
March 18March 18 - 9:00 pm CDT
March 21March 21 - 7:00 am CDT
March 21March 21 - 9:00 pm CDT
March 25March 25 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

2024: Above the Solar System at 10 day Intervals
Planet Coordinates for March


Planet coordinate data for the visible planets and the Sun at 10-day intervals for this month.
Click here to see the web page showing this information, and also for a larger and easier to read version of the above graphic.



March 24: Above the Terrestrial Planets at 5-day Intervals
My Local Time: CST (UTC-6)
Lee's Summit, Missouri, U.S.A.
38.9116°N, 94.3617°W

Your Current Local Date and Time:
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Some Astronomy Web Links


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Click here to read the Privacy Statement for this web site (I don't bite!!), and about this web site and me.
    Disclaimer: Any use of my posted information, in any manner whatsoever, will raise the amount of disorder in the universe. Although no liability is implied herein, the reader is warned that this process will ultimately lead to the heat death of the universe.

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