Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday March 3rd, and 4th, written by Joe Slomka
This is Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday March 3rd, and 4th, written by Joe Slomka.
The Sun sets at 5:48 PM; night falls at 7:22. Dawn begins at 4:52 AM and ends with Sunrise at 6:26.
The Moon appears in Aries on both nights. Monday’s Moon rises at 8:07 AM, by 7 PM it appears 37° high in the Southeast, is 33°arc- minutes in size, 21% illuminated and sets at 10:45 PM. Tuesday’s Moon rises at 8:36 AM, 50° high, 32 arc-minutes, 31° lit, and sets at 12:05 AM, Wednesday.
Saturn and Neptune are too close to the Sun.
Mercury and Venus share Pisces. Mercury is visible in evening, rises at 7:05 AM, by 7 PM it lies 17° close to the Sun, shines with zero magnitude, appears 6 arc-seconds, 65% lit and sets at 7:16 PM; this is the year’s best appearance, but difficult being 2° from the horizon. Venus is easier to see being further from the Sun, blazes with minus 4th magnitude, 51 arc-seconds, rises at 6:50 AM, highest at 1:35 PM, 13° high at 7 PM, 12% illuminated and sets at 8:18 PM. Venus begins retro motion, is low with a thin crescent moon; try to spot it before sunrise.
Uranus lies between the Moon and Jupiter, sharing Taurus, it shines with 5th magnitude, appears 4 arc-seconds, highest at 4:32 PM, 50° high and sets at 11:47 PM. Jupiter glimmers with minus 2nd magnitude, 39 arc-seconds, rises at 10:24 AM, highest at 5:51 PM, 64° high and sets at 1:24 AM. On Monday, moon Io begins voyage at 8:43 PM and ends at 10:56 PM; Io’s shadow sets off at 10:03 PM and concludes at 12:16 AM, Tuesday. Ganymede commences at 8:08 PM along with other moons; Europa finishes at 9:14 PM and Io terminates at 9:31 PM. The Great Red Spot (a giant storm) can be spotted at 10:28 PM, Monday and 4:15 AM Wednesday at 4:15 AM.
Mars this month, in Gemini, begins to fade, starts with minus 0.2 magnitude and ends the month with plain 0.4; rises at 12:38 PM, appears 10 arc-seconds, 93° lit, 66° highest at 8:23 PM and sets at 4:15 AM.
A chain of stars wraps around Polaris, the Pole Star; this group is the constellation Draco, the Dragon. Draco is ancient, from the Mesopotamians. Most legends picture dragons as we do, with horns, wings and multiple heads. Greek myths depict dragons guarding Golden Apples or Golden Fleece. In our night sky, Draco seems to continue the role as guardian of the Pole Star. When the Pyramids were built, Thuban, one of Draco’s stars was, itself, the Pole Star. Several Pyramids were oriented to it.
Clear Skies Joe Slomka