The Night Sky This Month: March
Here are some of the things to see in March:
Messier 44
Winter Hexagon
The Winter Hexagon, also known as the Winter Circle, is a prominent winter asterism formed by seven stars prominent in the winter sky. These are Rigel in Orion, Aldebaran in Taurus, Capella in Auriga, Castor and Pollux in Gemini, Procyon in Canis Minor, and Sirius in Canis Major constellation. Sirius and Procyon are also part … [Read more…]
Night Sky Highlights in March
Here are some of the things to see in March:
Hyades
The Hyades are a star cluster located in Taurus constellation and the nearest open cluster of stars to the solar system. Also catalogued as Collinder 50 or Melotte 25, the cluster has an apparent magnitude of 0.5 and lies at a distance of 153 light years, or 47 parsecs, from Earth. The brightest stars in … [Read more…]
Highlights of the March Sky
Here are some of the highlights of the night sky in March:
Praesepe (M44): The Beehive Cluster
Praesepe, also known as Messier 44 (M44) or the Beehive Cluster, is a large, bright open star cluster located in the constellation Cancer. It is the brightest deep sky object in the constellation. The cluster has the designation NGC 2632 in the New General Catalogue.
Lagoon Nebula – Messier 8
The Lagoon Nebula, or Messier 8 (M8), is a large interstellar cloud classified as an emission nebula and an H II region. The nebula is located in Sagittarius constellation, within the Milky Way Galaxy. It lies in the direction of the galaxy’s centre. The nebula’s designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 6523.
Highlights of the Night Sky in March
Here are some of the constellations, planets, and deep sky objects to see in March: 8 PM southern sky – Jupiter high above the southern horizon after sunset 11 PM eastern sky – Mars rising in the east, visible throughout the night 1 AM eastern sky – Saturn rising, also remaining visible until sunrise 6 … [Read more…]