Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday March 25th and 26th, 2024 written by Joe Slomka

This is the Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday March 25th and 26th, written by Joe Slomka.

The Sun sets at 7:14 PM; night falls at 8:50. Dawn begins at 5:11 AM and ends with Sunrise at 6:47.

The Moon resides in southeastern Virgo on both nights. Monday’s Full Moon sets at 7:01 AM and rises at 7:49 PM; at Tuesday’s Midnight, the Moon is 36°high, 29 arc-minutes and 100% illuminated. Tuesday’s Moon sets at 7:18 AM, rises at 8:52 PM and sets Wednesday at 7:37 AM; at Midnight, it is 26°high, 29 arc-minutes and 97% lit.

The main attraction takes place on Monday’s night. A precursor to April’s Solar Eclipse, the Moon experiences its own eclipse. This is a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The Moon must be Full. If the Earth-Moon alignment is perfect, we experience a total eclipse; if not, then the Moon only encounters part of Earth’s shadow; “penumbral” means that only the palest part of the shadow is visible. The event begins at 12:53 AM on March 25th, greatest eclipse occurs at 3:13 AM when the Moon’s southern hemisphere is obviously darkened. Eclipse ends at 5:33 AM. Penumbral eclipses are the most common. If you miss this one, another happens on September 18th.

Only three planets grace the evening sky. Sunday, Mercury passed Greatest Elongation, which means that it starts heading toward the Sun; in Pisces, it glistens with zero magnitude, 7 arc-seconds in size, 38% lit, 9°high at 8 PM and sets at 8:49 PM. Jupiter shares western Aries with Uranus. The giant planet lies close to the Sun, gleaming with minus 2nd magnitude, 34 arc-seconds, rises at 8:35 AM, 27°high at 8 PM and sets at 10:34 PM; Monday, at 8:21 PM the Jovian moon Ganymede’s shadow begins to cross the planet’s face; Tuesday, the Great Red Spot (a giant storm) begins its travel at Midnight. Uranus follows 4°eastward, shining with 5th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds, rises at 8:45 AM, 32°high at 8 PM and sets at 10:58 PM.

Mars is the only Dawn planet, at 33°away from the Sun it shines with 1st magnitude, rises at 5:44 AM, 3°high at 6 AM and 95% lit. Saturn and Venus near the horizon and will be visible next week.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks can be found between Mercury and Jupiter; rises at 6:31 AM, highest at 2:23 PM, it sparkles with 5th magnitude, 91% lit, 21°high at 8 PM, and sets at 10:14 PM. The comet is now brightest and easily found. On March 30th, it will be 1/2°northwest of Alpha Arietis (Hamal). Like Halley’s Comet, it visits every 71 years. French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons discovered it in July 1812; it was rediscovered by American astronomer William Brooks in September 1883. Early observers logged the comet as early as 1385.