Sky Events

March 2024

March 3: Third Quarter Moon

March 10: New Moon

March 13: Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter, with an angular separation of 3°35′.

March 17: First Quarter Moon

March 19: Vernal Equinox

March 24: Mercury at its greatest eastern elongation

March 25: Full Moon

March 25: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

March 30: Dwarf planet Makemake at opposition

 

Planets in March

Mercury: Evening planet, best seen later in the month.

Venus: Lost in the morning twilight this month.

Mars: Morning planet lost in twilight.

Jupiter:Hanging on in the evening sky but its visibility is deteriorating, the planet losing altitude rapidly as darkness falls.

Saturn: Too close to the Sun to be seen this month.

April 2024

April 1: Third Quarter Moon

April 5: M93, a spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici, is well-placed for observation

April 5: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars, with an angular separation of 1°58′

April 8: Total Solar Eclipse

April 10: Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter, with an angular separation of 3°59′

April 15: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Canes Venatici is well-placed for observation

April 15: First Quarter Moon

April 18: The globular cluster M3 in Canes Venatici is well-placed for observation.

April 22: Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak activity

April 23: The Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major is well-placed for observation

April 23: Full Moon

 

Planets in April

Mercury: Inferior conjunction on April 11, best seen in the evening sky at the start of the month.

Venus: This planet is unlikely to be seen this month as it is too close to the Sun. 

Mars: Poorly placed morning planet, which is best seen at the end of the month.

Jupiter: This planet is unlikely to be seen this month as it becomes lost in the evening twilight.

Saturn: Morning planet but poor.