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From the full Worm Moon to the spring equinox and the rare alignment of planets, the March 2023 space calendar is packed with opportunities to appreciate the cosmos.
February was a busy month for stargazers – we have had an ancient green comet passing by Earth and several close encounters with meteorites and asteroids.
March is not nearly as eventful, but we have a few highlights coming up.
As the moon enters its waxing gibbous phase, stargazers will be able to see the bright star Regulus appear near the lower right side of the Moon on 5 March.
According to NASA[3], the distant Regulus star is one of the brightest in the sky, outshining the rest of the stars in the constellation Leo. It is also known as Alpha Leonis.
This month, Regulus can be seen forming a triangle with the stars Arcturus and Spica, an alignment aptly called the Spring Triangle in the northern hemisphere.
March’s full moon – known as the Worm Moon – will rise on 7 March.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac[1], March’s full moon is often called the Worm Moon, as earthworms begin to emerge from the warming soil.
Other nicknames for the full moon include the Snow Crust Moon, Sugar Moon, Eagle Moon, and Goose Moon.
In the northern hemisphere, the March equinox marks the changing of the season and the beginning of spring. In the southern hemisphere, it is the start of autumn.
On the of the equinox itself, 21 March, the most direct rays from the sun are focused on the equator.
This means there will be approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness virtually everywhere around the world.
During the last week of March, two planets will line up in the evening sky.[2]
The crescent moon will glow between Mars and Venus on 26 March, given it’s cloud-free night.
The astronomical show will continue during the month’s final week as the moon appears side-by-side with Mars on Monday, 27 March and Tuesday, 28 March.
There aren’t any noteworthy asteroid or meteor news expected in March, however, there still is a chance of seeing something exciting in the night sky.
According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), sporadic fireballs, or bright meteors, are more likely to appear during this month. [4]
In addition, a few weak meteor showers take place in March, but nothing to really write home about, and hardly any of those will be visible in the southern hemisphere.
However, the next major shower will not be until April 22, when the Lyrids will reach their peak.
This space calendar will be updated throughout the month with relevant information.
References:
[1] March’s Full Worm Moon, Farmers’ Almanac, 27 February 2023
[2] Venus and Jupiter conjunction 2023: How to see the planets meet in the night sky tonight; Holly Spanner, Science Focus, 2 March 2023
[3] March 2023: The Next Full Moon is the Crow, Crust, Sap, Sugar, or Worm Moon; Gordon Johnston; NASA Solar System Exploration; 27 February 2023
[4] American Meteor Society, James Richardson, AMS Operations Manager; Radiometeor Project Coordinator James Bedient, Former AMS Electronic Information Coordinator
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