Monday, March 02, 2026
March skies 2026
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| Eastern morning sky on Wednesday, March 18 as seen from Adelaide at 6:37 ACDST (45 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). Mars, the crescent Moon and Mercury form a triangle above the horizon. The inset is the binocular view a this time. Mars and Mercury are at their closest on the 16th. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (45 minutes before sunrise) | North-western sky on Thursday, March 26 as seen from Adelaide at 20:43 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Jupiter is close to the waxing Moon, forming a narrow triangle with Castor and Pollux and a broad triangle with the bright stars Procyon and Betelgeuse.The inset is the telescopic view Jupiter at this time. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset) |
To be read in conjunction with the astrophiz podcast #229
| March | |
| 2 March 2026 | Moon Near Regulus (0.4° apart) |
| 3 March 2026 | Full Moon, Total Lunar Eclipse early evening |
| 10 March 2026 | Moon near Antares |
| 16 March 2026 | Mercury and Mars close in the morning twilight (4° apart) |
| 21 March 2026 | Earth at Equinox |
| 26 March 2026 | Moon close to Jupiter (4° apart) |
| 29 March 2026 | Moon close to Regulus (closest early morning 30th) |
| March 3 | Full Moon, Total lunar eclipse |
| March 11 | Last Quarter Moon (ideal for star gazing) |
| March10 | Moon at apogee |
| March 19 | New Moon (also ideal for star gazing) |
| March 26 | First Quarter Moon |
| March 22 | Moon at perigee |
The rising full Moon is partially eclipsed. Totality will start at 22:33 and be at maximum eclipse at 23:03. Other states will see similar views at the equivalent local times. The inset show the binocular view at this time.
Detailed times for selected cites and viewing charts are at my Lunar Eclipse page.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).
Stars:
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| North-Eastern sky as seen from Adelaide at midnight1 ACDST on March 12. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen) | Southern sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:05 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset). Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sunset. Omega Centauri is indicated by the brackets, The inset is the binocular view of Omega Centauri at this time (click to embiggen) |
March nights see the summer constellations of Orion the Hunter and Canis major (Orion’s hunting dog) head towards the western horizon, while Orion’s nemesis, Scorpius the Scorpion, rises in the east.
If you face east around midnight, the distinctive curled shape of Scorpius lies curled above the horizon. Slightly less romantically, it looks like one of those “use no hooks” signs on its side.
In Greek mythology, Scorpius was a scorpion sent to kill Orion for his hubris. Indigenous Australians interpreted the constellation in a variety of ways. The sting of Scorpius the Scorpion (the curled “hook”) is variously the head of Ingalpir, the crocodile, Karick Karick a pair of hawks or a fringe of feathers around the wings of dark constellation the Emu. The body of the Scorpion contains the bright star Antares the “rival of Mars”.
Omega Centauri, a magnificent globular cluster, will be readily visible late in the evening forming a triangle with the Southern cross and pointers.
Mira:
North western sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:05 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset) on March 11, when the Moon has not yet risen. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sunset. The variable star Mira is above the western horizon and indicated by the jagged circle. The inset is the binocular view of the Mira and the two obvious stars Zeta and Chi Ceti at this time (click to embiggen).
The location of Uranus is indicated by the smooth circle.
The variable star Mira is now around magnitude 3.5, and should be readily visible when the moon is out of the way.
Labels: binocular, Monthly sky, unaided eye
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