How To Find Mars In The Sky
The forenoon heaven is getting interesting in March 2022 equally a trio of planets jostle for position.
Venus, Mars and Saturn all announced rather low when they are observed from the UK.
Dimmer Mars and Saturn have advantage of the fact that they appear shut to the bright planet Venus which, shining at mag. –four.4, is considerably easier to see despite its low pre-sunrise altitude.
For more planetary observing advice, read our guide on how to run across the planets this yr, listen to our monthly Star Diary podcast our sentry our monthly Online Planetarium.
At the start of March, Mars rises approximately ninety minutes earlier the Dominicus, popping upwardly to a higher place the southeast horizon while 5˚ south of Venus.
Mars volition be shining at magazine. +1.three on this engagement, and piece of cake to recognise because of its orange hue.
On 8 March, the gap will have closed between Venus and Mars, the separation being 4.3˚ on this date. Mars will be a fraction brighter as well, at mag. +one.2.
By thirteen March, the gap will accept dropped to a fraction less than 4˚. It's about this time that mag. +0.9 Saturn may be glimpsed, rising xxx minutes after Mars.
Venus remains close to Mars over the next few mornings, simply starting to separate from the Red Planet around 18 March.
Mars, Venus and Saturn will be contained within a circumvolve 12˚ across on this engagement.
By 23 March, the containing circle will have reduced in size to viii.v˚, the iii planets now quite tightly packed together.
It's fascinating to watch the pattern formed past the trio change shape over the balance of the month.
On the morning of 24 March, they form a squat isosceles triangle, with Venus as the upper vertex. Mars will have brightened to mag. +ane.i on this date.
All iii planets are above the horizon 60 minutes before the Sunday, but will need at to the lowest degree 20 minutes longer to reach a visible altitude.
An distance-challenged waning crescent Moon joins the grouping on 28 March. Located 5˚ below Mars, the 18%-lit waning crescent rises effectually 40 minutes before the Dominicus above the southeast horizon.
By 31 March, all three planets are contained within an area half dozen˚ across. Venus appears e of the group on this appointment, shining at mag. –4.2 and the easiest to see past far.
Meanwhile, Saturn remains at mag. +0.9, just 3˚ from Venus with mag. +i.1 Mars now 3.3˚ from Saturn.
Every bit March transitions into April, Venus leaves Mars and Saturn, the dimmer pair reducing their separation to merely nineteen arcseconds on v April.
On that date, it will exist possible to grab all iii planets rising around the aforementioned time, approximately 80 minutes before the Dominicus above the east-southeast horizon.
Observing Venus in March 2022
Venus is a morning object in March, rising a couple of hours before the Sunday at the month's kickoff and fourscore minutes before the Sunday at the end.
The planet reaches dichotomy this month, passing from crescent through to gibbous phase.
Dichotomy is the term used to indicate when a planet (or the Moon) reaches the 50% phase.
This calendar month, dichotomy should occur on 21 March, but due to what'due south known as the 'stage anomaly', through the eyepiece of a telescope Venus will appear one-half-lit a few days later than this theoretical prediction.
The phase anomaly is believed to be caused by how the planet'due south thick temper scatters sunlight.
Take a look through a telescope and brand an guess of the stage in the run upwardly towards and across 21 March.
Venus drops in brightness over March, but only past a 5th of a magnitude.
On 1 March this near bright of planets appears to smoothen at mag. –4.four. On 31 March, at magazine. –4.2, Venus will withal look intense against the morning's dawn twilight.
It appears best at the month'southward start with a darker sky.
Mars and Saturn appear close to Venus. Saturn will be too close to the Lord's day to see properly at the month's start, merely it volition exist visible with Venus and Mars at the month'south end.
On 25 March, Venus sits iv.six˚ from mag. +1.1 Mars, and 4.1˚ from +0.ix Saturn, but the squat triangle formed by the three fails to gain much altitude in a higher place the southeast horizon as sunrise approaches.
An eighteen%-lit waning crescent Moon lies below the trio on the morning time of 28 March.
Observing the planets in March 2022
Venus
- Best time to run into: 1 March, xl minutes before sunrise
- Distance: 10˚ (low)
- Location: Sagittarius
- Management: Southeast
- Features: Stage, faint shaded markings.
- Recommended equipment: 75mm, or larger
Mercury
Mercury is a morning planet, not well placed at the start of March. On 1 March it shines at mag. –0.one, lies 2˚ southwest of mag. +0.9 Saturn and rises 30 minutes before the Dominicus. That commencement deteriorates over the following days, and as a upshot, from the UK at least, Mercury is unlikely to be seen with the naked middle over the remainder of the month.
Mars
- Best time to see: 31 March, l minutes before sunrise
- Altitude: 3˚ (very low)
- Location: Capricornus
- Direction: Southeast
Mars is visible in the morning sky as a mag. +1.iii object rising ninety minutes earlier the Dominicus on 1 March, when it appears 5˚ beneath mag. –four.4 Venus. Over the next few mornings, Mars and Venus announced to converge, both planets appearing separated by only 4˚ on 12 March.
A lovely, admitting rather low, triangular grouping of Mars, Venus and Saturn can be seen low higher up the southeast horizon xl minutes prior to sunrise on 24 March. By 31 March, Mars will take brightened to mag. +one.1 and rises 80 minutes earlier the Lord's day. The Mars, Saturn and Venus triangle will exist contained to an area less than 6˚ across on 31 March.
Through an eyepiece Mars is a bit disappointing, appearing to accept an credible diameter of 5 arcseconds at the month's end. Yet, this volition modify during the year as Mars approaches opposition in early Dec 2022.
Jupiter
Jupiter reaches solar conjunction on 5 March and despite drawing abroad from the Lord's day's position speedily, is unlikely to exist seen this month. On 31 March, magazine. –1.nine Jupiter rises just 20 minutes before the Sun.
Saturn
- Best time to see: 31 March, 50 minutes before sunrise
- Altitude: three˚ (very low)
- Location: Capricornus
- Management: Due east-southeast
Saturn is a morning planet, slowly crawling abroad from the Sunday during the month. Its placement in the heaven isn't very optimal at present, the planet non gaining much altitude despite rise at a reasonable fourth dimension earlier the Lord's day.
If you accept a flat southeast horizon, look out for mag. +0.9 Saturn, mag. +1.i Mars and mag. –four.2 Venus together between 22–31 March. A thin, xviii%-lit waning crescent Moon sits below the trio on the morn of 28 March.
Uranus
- Best time to see: 1 March, nineteen:l UT
- Altitude: 33 ˚
- Location: Aries
- Direction: West-southwest
Mag. +vii.9 Uranus may be seen 30˚ above the west-southwest horizon equally true darkness arrives on i March. A 17%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits half-dozen.5˚ to the southwest of Uranus on the evening of half-dozen March, and as a 25%-lit waxing crescent, half-dozen˚ to the planet's due east on 7 March.
By mid-March, Uranus appears a fraction over twenty˚ up in a higher place the western horizon every bit truthful darkness descends, simply by the calendar month's end it falls to simply 8 ˚ . Equally a consequence, March marks the end of the electric current observational window for this distant world.
Neptune
Neptune is in conjunction with the Lord's day on thirteen March; consequently, the planet is non visible this month.
This guide originally appeared in the March 2022 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine .
Source: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/observing-guide-how-see-planets-march/
Posted by: beckempting2000.blogspot.com
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