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; the sun's apparent motion and the Earth's real motion along the ecliptic.
Scroll down for more web site information, resources, and a link to the previous month issue.

Volume 25          Issue 3
March 2019
   Month at a Glance:

   This month Mercury moves from the evening skies to inferior conjunction at mid-month and then reappears as a morning planet by the end of the month. Venus contines as the brightest object in the morning skies other than the Moon. Can't miss it over the southeast horizon. Jupiter is down to the left, east, from Venus and despite their separation the two make a conspicuous stellar-like pair. An hour or so after Jupiter rises the planet Saturn rises and is low over the southeastern at sunset. Dwarf Planet Ceres is a few degrees west from Jupiter but is too dim to be seen with anything other than a telescope or time exposure picture.
   Mars is the only visible evening planet and it is located above the southwest horizon and sunset and sets around midnight.

Click here for the month at a glance calendar.



Mercury moves into inferior conjunction on the 5th and reappears in the morning skies toward the end of the month.
Venus is visible over the eastern horizon at around sunrise local time.
Mars is visible over the wouthwestern horizon around sunset local time but is noticeably setting earlier as the day pass.
Dwarf Planet Ceres is a few degrees west from Jupiter over the southern horizon around sunrise local time. Ceres gradually increases its apparent magnitude from around 7.8 to almost 7.0 by month's end.
Jupiter Jupiter is visible but low over the southern horizon at around sunrise local time.
Saturn is visible over the east-southeast horizon a couple of hours befor sunrise local time.

Star Maps and More
Visit bobs-spaces for regular updates on what is up.
Contact Me

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Did you know? Qué tal in the Current Skies was selected by Sky & Telescope Magazine as one of the "Seven Best of the Web" personal web sites.

      
March Sky Calendar

01. Moon Occultation with Saturn
02. Moon at Descending Node
      Waning Crescent Moon Close to Venus
      Moon Occultation with Pluto
04. Moon at Apogee: 252,520 miles (406,391 km)
06. New Moon
07. Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
10. Begin Daylight Saving Time (U.S.A)
11. Waxing Crescent Moon Near Mars
12. Sun enters the Astronomical constellation Pisces the Fishes.
      
      
      
      
      
      
      

13. Waxing Crescent Moon Near Aldebaran
14. First Quarter Moon
      Pi Day
15. Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
16. Moon at Ascending Node
17. Waxing Gibbous Moon Near Beehive Open Star Cluster
18. Waxing Gibbous Moon Near Regulus
19. Moon at Perigee: 223,309 miles (359,381 km)
20. March Equinox (21:58 UT – 5:58 pm EDT)
      Sun does not enter the astrological constellation Aries the Ram.
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      

21. Full Moon (A Super Moon)
23. Martian Summer Solstice
27. Waning Gibbous Moon Near Jupiter
28. Last Quarter Moon
29. Moon Occultation with Saturn
      Moon Occultation with Pluto
      Moon at Descending Node
31. Mars Near Pleiades Open Star Cluster
      Begin European Summer Time (Set Clocks Ahead 1 hour)
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
March 1March 1 - 6:30 am CST
March 2March 2 - 6:30 am CST
March 4March 4 - Moon at Apogee
252,520 miles (406,391 km)
March 7March 7 - Neptune at Solar Conjunction
March 11March 11 - 10:30 pm CDT
March 13March 13 - 11:00 pm CDT
March 18March 18 - 9 pm CDT
March 19March 19 - Moon at Perigee
223,309 miles (359,381 km)
March 19March 19 - Martian Summer Solstice
March 27March 27 - 5:30 am CDT
March 29March 29 - 5:30 am CDT
March 31March 31 - 9:00 pm CDT
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Above the Solar System at 10 day Intervals

Heliocentric Coordinates

Name March 02 March 12 March 20
Mercury 106o 44' 160o 41' 200o 24'
Venus 237o 08' 253o 02' 268o 54'
Earth 161o 06' 171o 07' 181o 05'
Mars 074o 21' 079o 29' 084o 32'
Ceres 227o 56' 230o 12' 232o 45'
Jupiter 251o 28' 252o 16' 253o 03'
Saturn 283o 18' 283o 36' 283o 54'
Plot planet positions using polar graph paper that you can download from this web site - or at that web site create your own.


Above the Terrestrial Planets at 10 day Intervals
Local Time CST (UT-6)


Some Astronomy Web Links


    Click here.

Credits and Privacy

Click here to read the Privacy Statement for this web site (I don't bite!!), and about this web site and me.

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