What’s up in the sky? March 2025 brings both total lunar and partial solar eclipse – WTOP
Greg Redfern | skyguyinva@gmail.com
March 1, 2025, 4:32 AM “What’s up in the sky?” is a recurring feature and publishes on the first of every month. You can find it on WTOP’s The Space Place. Email Greg your space questions and he might answer them in the next edition.Each month, WTOP is showcasing the best the sky has to offer stargazers regarding the moon, planets and stars. Space-related events in the D.C. region will be included as well.Let’s get to the sky for March 2025!During March 2025 Venus and the moon are the “stars” of the sky show for the month. Venus remains bright, the moon undergoes a total lunar eclipse and partially eclipses the sun.Highlight of the month March 1: The one-day-old waxing crescent moon and bright Venus pair up in the western horizon at dusk for a stunning view. Using Venus as a guide, the moon will be to the lower left.Look for earthshine on the moon. Mercury will be just about a fist’s width held vertically at arm’s length below this beautiful pair. Binoculars are the name of the game to get the best view. Try taking a smartphone or camera picture.
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Use Venus to find Mercury and watch the two pull ever closer to one another over the coming days. Binoculars are a big help.March 5: The waxing crescent moon once again keeps close company with the Pleiades star cluster — binoculars recommended.March 6: Jupiter near the first quarter moon.March 9: Mars and the waxing gibbous moon pair up high in the sky and daylight saving time begins.Highlight of the month March 12: Mercury and Venus pair up in the west after sunset. Mercury will be just to the left of Venus — so, find Venus first, then Mercury. Binoculars will enhance the view and this is a great time to take a smartphone or camera picture.Highlight of the month March 14: A total lunar eclipse will make for dazzling views. Check out this link on how to photograph the eclipse.Highlight of the month March 16: If you happen to be at a dark sky site in the next two weeks, make sure you look for the zodiacal light in the western sky as it gets dark. Brilliant Venus most likely will be in the triangular shape of the zodiacal light, which will be a real visual and photographic treat.Try taking a picture with your smartphone or digital camera. For best results they should be mounted on a tripod or held very steady for a time exposure of several seconds.March 20: This date marks the vernal equinox and the beginning of spring.Highlight of the month March 29: On the final Saturday of the month, a partial solar eclipse will peak at around 7 a.m. in the D.C. area.If you are viewing the eclipse with others, especially children, make sure they do so according to the following guidance:Solar eclipse observers have to follow safe sun-viewing procedures, as failure to do so will result in eye injury.Here is everything you need to know about eye safety and how to safely view the solar eclipse. If you plan on wearing solar eclipse glasses, using a camera or smartphone or any kind of optical aid, you need to order the appropriate items now to ensure you will have them on eclipse day.In 2017 and 2024 there were solar filter and eclipse-viewing products that did not meet the strict International Organization for Standardization benchmark and presented a danger to the public.For your eye safety, the American Astronomical Society states on its website:“Important: We do not recommend searching for eclipse glasses on Amazon, eBay, Temu, or any other online marketplace and buying from whichever vendor offers the lowest price. Before you buy a solar viewer or filter online, we recommend that you make sure that (1) the seller is identified on the site and (2) the seller is listed on this page.”To photograph the eclipse check out this website and the links at the bottom of the page. If you want to use your smartphone, I highly recommend using the Solar Snap app. I beta-tested it and it worked like a charm with great results.This partial solar eclipse will occur just after sunrise and will have a very slight eclipse of the sun lasting only about 2 minutes. You will need a clear view of the eastern horizon.March 6: First quarterMarch 14: March’s full moon is called the full worm blood moon.March 22: Last quarterMarch 29: New moonMercury is in the western sky after sunset and binoculars will help immensely to find the bright, yellowish planet. It dives into the sun’s glare late in the month.Venus blazes above the western horizon as it gets dark — you can’t miss it. It transitions to the morning sky along the eastern horizon by the end of the month.Mars is high in the sky as it gets dark and has faded in brightness. In a small telescope, some surface features may be spotted and identified with this nifty tool.Jupiter is bright and located high in the sky with only the moon and Venus being brighter than the king of the planets. Certain binoculars will show the four main moons of Jupiter looking like “stars” in a line that constantly changes. You can identify the moons here.A small telescope can reveal features in Jupiter’s atmosphere.Saturn is not visible as it is too close to the sun.Uranus can be spotted with binoculars, using this star chart to locate it. In small telescopes, you can detect the color of the planet, but not much else.Neptune is not visible since it is too close to the sun.Pluto is way out there in the solar system and requires taking images through a telescope spaced days apart to hunt it down.Virginia State Parks hosts events throughout the month related to astronomy and stargazing.The Northern Virginia Astronomy Club holds its general meeting at George Mason University. Check the calendar for the date and other March astronomy events.National Capital Astronomers holds its monthly meeting March 8 at 7 p.m.The Analemma Society holds Friday night public viewing sessions at Turner Farm in Great Falls, Virginia.Smithsonian Air and Space in D.C. and Chantilly, Virginia, has loads of astronomy stuff in March.You can check here and here for astronomy clubs outside the D.C. region.Download NASA’s 2025 Science Calendar that features out of this world pictures and information.The Planetary Society’s Space Events 2025 Calendar is another resource for tracking space missions.Check out this useful tool to create a custom star chart for your location to help you find your way around the stars.You can also send in any space related questions to my email address. Suggestions about this feature are also welcome.Follow Greg Redfern on Facebook, Bluesky and his daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space explorationGet breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.5425 Wisconsin Ave
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