Backyard Stargazer: March is full of celestial pairings
By Francis Parnell
Francis Parnell, the Backyard Stargazer of Darlington
For early risers, March has some neat celestial pairings in the eastern sky.
About 45 minutes before dawn on the 1st, yellow Saturn was 3 degrees lower left of the waning crescent Moon.
On the morning of the 2nd, a thin lunar crescent was 4 degrees right of sparkling Venus.
Red Mars is 7 degrees right of the waxing crescent Moon at dusk on the 11th.
On the 18th, the waxing gibbous Moon shines 2 degrees left of Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, the Lion. Regulus is five times the solar diameter, 150 times the luminosity and 79 light-years away.
The Sun is at the equinox on the 20th at 5:58 p.m. marking the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere.
Just before dawn on the 27th, Jupiter is 4 degrees left of the waning crescent Moon.
Just before sunrise on the 29th, spot Saturn 3 degrees upper right of the waning Moon.
FAST FACT: “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies, were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff.” — Carl Sagan
We really are connected to the stars, and knowing that, it’s even more fun to “Keep looking up!”