鈥淲hat鈥檚 up in the sky?鈥� is a recurring feature and publishes on the first of every month. You can find it on聽草莓传媒鈥檚 The Space Place. Email Greg your space questions and he might answer them in the next edition.
Each month, 草莓传媒 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鈥檚 get to the sky for March 2025!
Must-see sky sights for March
During March 2025 Venus and the moon are the 鈥渟tars鈥� of the sky show for the month. Venus remains bright, the moon undergoes a total lunar eclipse and .
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 . Mercury will be just about a fist’s width held vertically at arm鈥檚 length below this beautiful pair. Binoculars are the name of the game to get the best view. Try taking a smartphone or camera picture.
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 鈥� 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 鈥� 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 will make for dazzling views. Check out this .
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 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 and the beginning of spring.
Highlight of the month March 29:聽On the final Saturday of the month, a will peak at around 7 a.m. in the D.C. area.
Safety first
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 .
Here is and how to safely view the solar eclipse. If you plan on wearing , using a camera or smartphone or , 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 .
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 and the links at the bottom of the page. If you want to use your smartphone, I highly recommend using . 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.
The moon
March 6: First quarter
March 14: March鈥檚 full moon is called the .
March 22: Last quarter
March 29: New moon
Planets
Mercury is in the western sky after sunset and binoculars will help immensely to find the bright, yellowish planet. It dives into the sun鈥檚 glare late in the month.
Venus blazes above the western horizon as it gets dark 鈥� you can鈥檛 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 .
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 鈥渟tars鈥� in a line that constantly changes. You can .
A small telescope can reveal features in Jupiter鈥檚 atmosphere.
Saturn is not visible as it is too close to the sun.
Uranus can be spotted with binoculars, using 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.
in the solar system and requires taking images through a telescope spaced days apart to hunt it down.
DC-area events
Virginia State Parks hosts related to astronomy and stargazing.
The Northern Virginia Astronomy Club holds its general meeting at George Mason University. for the date and other March astronomy events.
National Capital Astronomers March 8 at 7 p.m.
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 and for astronomy clubs outside the D.C. region.
Added bonus
Download that features out of this world pictures and information.
The is another resource for tracking space missions.
Check out this useful tool to 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聽,听聽and his聽聽to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2025 草莓传媒. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
