Skywatching for March

March is a good month to catch some great sky watching opportunities.

Skywatchers with binoculars or a small telescope can view the tiny asteroid Juno in the southern portion of the constellation Leo.

A few nights later, enjoy the vista of planets Mercury and Jupiter in the evening twilight. The planets will be less than two degrees apart on March 15.

Visible in the west after evening twilight from March 21- April 4, observers can view the faint glow of interplanetary particles known as the zodiacal light.

March 22 will be the best time in the Northern Hemisphere to view Mercury during 2011.

Neptune can be spotted alongside Venus during morning twilight on March 27 in the east. Skywatchers will need binoculars or a telescope to search for the tiny planet a half degree above and to the right of Venus.

Planet trackers can find Mercury the last two weeks of March close to Jupiter in evening twilight.
Venus will be a brilliant morning star low in the southeast all month, but Mars is too close to the sun to be observed.

Jupiter will be low in the western sky in early evening and vanishes behind the sun towards the end of the month.

Saturn makes an early evening appearance and is visible in Virgo, complete with its rings in full view. Saturn’s rings have been on edge for the last two years, diminishing some of the planet’s limelight.