See Venus Shine For A Final Time As Mercury Rises: The Night Sky This Week – Forbes
Venus appears in the night sky near a crescent moon on February 22, 2023 in Bayingolin Mongol … [+] Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)Each Monday, I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also applies to northern hemisphere mid-northern latitudes). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.The first week of March this year brings a mix of planetary conjunctions and moon views. From Venus blazing brightly in the west—but not for long—to arresting views of the moon, here’s everything you need to know about stargazing and astronomy this week:Monday, March 3: Crescent Moon, Venus And Mercury After sunset tonight, look westward for a celestial trio. A 20%-illuminated crescent moon will hang above Venus, the brightest planet in the sky, at magnitude -4.3. Just beneath Venus, near the horizon, tiny Mercury may be visible. Venus is edging closer to the sun, so don’t miss a last chance to see it in the evening sky this week.Wednesday, March 5: Moon In The Pleiades A 42%-lit waxing crescent moon is positioned tonight near the Pleiades, a sparkling open cluster in Taurus. Although the moon passes closest to the Pleiades during daylight hours in North America, it will still be a spectacle by nightfall as it shines a couple of degrees above the cluster. Binoculars will get your eyes on 100 or so stars in the Pleiades, also called the Seven Sisters.Thursday, March 6: First Quarter Moon Near Jupiter The moon reaches its first quarter phase tonight, glowing brightly and making faint constellations harder to spot. However, Jupiter will shine brightly in the moonlight, with Mars easily visible in the south.Friday, March 7: Most Northerly Moon Tonight’s waxing gibbous moon reaches its most northerly position of the year while 64%-lit between Mars and Jupiter. Nearby will be the twins of Gemini, Pollux and Castor.Saturday, March 8: Mercury At Its HighestToday, Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation, shining at magnitude -0.3 just above the western horizon after sunset. Look for it below bright Venus. Meanwhile, in the southeast, the moon—now 74%-lit—will be in close conjunction with Mars, just a couple of degrees apart.Saturday, March 8: Moon Meets Mars Cassiopeia’s iconic “W” shape makes it one of the easiest constellations to find in the night sky. To seE it, look north—it’s opposite the Big Dipper, with Polaris, the “North Star’ between them.The constellation Cassiopeia appears as a sideways “W” or “M”, opposite the Big Dipper, with Polaris … [+] between them.The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium.Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
