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March 2009 Celestial Calendar

Dave Mitsky

Note: All times in UTC (EST + 5)

During the early and latter parts of March, the zodiacal light is visible in the west from a dark site after evening twilight.

The Moon is located in Pisces and is 3.9 days old at 0:00 UT on March 1. It's at its greatest southern declination of -26.9 degrees on March 18 and its greatest northern declination of +27.0 degrees on March 4. Latitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.7 degrees on March 14 and a minimum of -6.7 degrees on March 1. Longitudinal libration is at a maximum of +5.3 degrees on March 13 and a minimum of -5.4 degrees on March 25. The first photograph of the Moon was taken on March 23, 1840. Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm

The Sun is in Aquarius on March 1 at 0:00 UT. It crosses the celestial equator at 7:44 a.m. EDT on March 20.

Brightness, apparent size, illumination, distance from the Earth in astronomical units, and location data for the planets and Pluto on March 1: Mercury (-0.1 magnitude, 5.7", 79% illuminated, 1.19 a.u., Capricornus), Venus (-4.8 magnitude, 45.1", 19% illuminated, 0.37 a.u., Capricornus), Mars (1.2 magnitude, 4.1", 98% illuminated, 2.27 a.u., Capricornus), Jupiter (-2.0 magnitude, 33.1", 100% illuminated, 5.95 a.u., Sagittarius), Saturn (0.5 magnitude, 19.8", 100% illuminated, 8.40 a.u., Leo), Uranus (5.9 magnitude, 3.3", 100% illuminated, 21.09 a.u., Aquarius), Neptune (8.0 magnitude, 2.2", 100% illuminated, 30.89 a.u., Capricornus), and Pluto (14.0 magnitude, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 31.73 a.u., Sagittarius).

The classical planets at mid-month at local DST are as follows: Mercury is visible in the southeast during morning twilight; Venus sets in the west before 9:00 p.m.; Mars rises in the east at 6:00 a.m.; Jupiter rises in the southeast at 6:00 a.m.; Saturn rises in the east at sunset, transits at midnight, and sets in the west at sunrise.

Mercury (magnitude -0.1) and Mars (magnitude 1.2) are less than a degree apart and Jupiter is six degrees to the upper right of the two planets on the morning of March 1. Mercury is lost in the glare of the Sun as the month unfolds and is in superior conjunction with the Sun on the last day of March.

On March 1, Venus is 35 degrees east of the Sun and sets three hours after the Sun. By March 20, Venus sets only one hour after sunset. The diameter of its disk increases from 45 arc minutes on March 1 to 58 arc minutes on March 20 and to 59 arc minutes on March 31. Observers with excellent eyesight may be able to see Venus as a crescent during the second half of the month. Venus reaches inferior conjunction on March 27, passing eight degrees north of the Sun. It may be possible for observers at 40 degrees north to see Venus both in the morning and the evening for a three day span centered on March 23. On March 31, Venus rises 50 minutes before the Sun.

Mars is located low in the morning sky in the east-southeast in early March. It passes into Aquarius from Capricornus on March 11. By the end of March, Mars rises just an hour before the Sun.

Jupiter is about seven degrees above the horizon 30 minutes before at sunrise on March 1 and fifteen degrees above the horizon at the same time on the last day of March. The fourth magnitude star Theta Capricorni is about seven arc minutes to the southeast of Jupiter on March 6. On the morning of March 22, Jupiter is four degrees to the lower left of a thin crescent Moon. Click on http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_107_1.asp to determine transits of the central meridian by the Great Red Spot. Data on the Galilean satellites is available at http://skytonight.com/observing/objects/javascript/3307071.html

Saturn is located in southeastern Leo, close to the hind foot of the Lion, and at magnitude 0.5 is the brightest object in that constellation. Saturn reaches opposition on March 8, which means that it rises at sunset, transits the meridian at local midnight, and sets at sunrise. The inclination of Saturn’s rings increases from 2.3 to 3.4 degrees this month. At opposition, the ring tilt angle is 2.6 degrees. Titan (magnitude 8.2), Saturn’s brightest satellite, undergoes two rare shadow transits this month. On March 12, its shadow makes ingress on the north-polar region of Saturn at 5:34 a.m. EDT and egresses at 8:51 a.m. EDT. Titan’s shadow falls on Saturn’s north-polar region once again on March 28 beginning at 4:25 a.m. EDT and exits it at 8:23 a.m. EDT. Only observers in the western part of North America will be able to see both events in their entirety. During March, Rhea shines at a magnitude of 9.5, Tethys at 10.0, Dione at 10.2, and Enceladus at 11.5. On the morning of March 13, Dione, Enceladus, and Tethys form a tight grouping, with Rhea a bit nearer to the disk of Saturn. Enceladus is south of Saturn on March 15 and brightens as March ends. For further information on Saturn’s satellites, browse http://skytonight.com/observing/objects/javascript/3308506.html

Uranus is quite close to Venus and Mercury in the bright morning sky on March 27 and March 28. Neptune is even closer to Venus on March 6 and Mercury on March 9. However, the possibility of observing these events is very remote, even from the Southern Hemisphere.

Pluto is not readily observable this month.

Asteroid 1 Ceres passes into the constellation of Leo Minor on March 1. The smallest dwarf planet is a third of a degree north of the binary star 54 Leonis on the night of March 3 and shines at magnitude 6.9 through March 6. On March 29, Ceres reenters Leo.

Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin) passes two degrees south of M44 on the night of March 5 and only 15 arc minutes north of the bright planetary nebula NGC 2392 (the Eskimo Nebula) on March 14. This rapidly moving comet may be as bright as fourth magnitude in early March.

Binary and Multiple Stars for March

Struve 1173, Struve 1181, Struve 1187, Zeta Cancri, 24 Cancri, Phi-2 Cancri, Iota-1 Cancri, Struve 1245, Iota-2 Cancri, 66 Cancri, Struve 1327 (Cancer); Struve 1270, Epsilon Hydrae, 15 Hydrae, 17 Hydrae, Theta Hydrae, 27 Hydrae, Struve 1347, Struve 1357, Struve 1365 (Hydra); 3 Leonis, Struve 1360, 6 Leonis, Omicron Leonis (Leo); Struve 1274, Struve 1282, Struve 1333, 38 Lyncis, Struve 1369 (Lynx); h4046 (Puppis)

Challenge binary star for March: Struve 1216 (Hydra)

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for March: M44, M48, M67, M81, M82, NGC 2571, NGC 2683, NGC 2841, NGC 2903, NGC 2976

Top ten deep-sky objects for March: M44, M48, M67, M81, M82, NGC 2654, NGC 2683, NGC 2835, NGC 2841, NGC 2903

Challenge deep-sky object for March: Abell 30 (Cancer)

The objects listed above are located between 8:00 and 10:00 hours of right ascension.