Southern Skywatch March 2022 edition is now out!

Morning sky on Tuesday March 29 showing the eastern morning sky as seen from Adelaide at 6:02 am ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise). Saturn and Venus are at their closest and the thin crescent moon, Mars, Venus and Saturn form a triangle. 

Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise), click to embiggen.  

The March edition of Southern Skywatch is now up. The main action is now in the morning skies with five bright planets, Venus, Mars, Mercury and Saturn (and then Jupiter) form nice patterns.

March 1; the thin crescent Moon, Mercury, and Saturn form a triangle in the eastern sky below the pair of Mars and Venus in the morning twilight. March 3; New Moon. March 3; Saturn and Mercury very close. March 10; First Quarter Moon. March 11; apogee Moon. March 16; Mars and Venus at their closest. March 18; Full Moon. March 21; Earth at Equinox. March 25; Last Quarter Moon. March 24; perigee Moon. March 28; Planetary massing of the thin crescent moon, Mars, and Venus form a line, with Saturn to the side of Venus in the morning twilight. March 29; Planetary massing, Saturn and Venus are at their closest and the thin crescent moon, Mars, Venus and Saturn form a triangle.

Mercury  is in the morning sky, and is readily visible in the eastern morning twilight in the first half of the month then, about an hour before sunrise. Then it rapidly sinks towards the horizon. Mercury starts the month below the pair of Venus and Mars, just above Saturn. On the 1st, the thin crescent Moon, Mercury, and Saturn form a triangle in the eastern sky an hour before sunrise below the pair of Mars and Venus. On the 3rd Saturn and Mercury are very close (0.7 degrees apart) and can be seen together in medium power telescope eye pieces. Mercury sinks lower as the month progresses, and on the 21st and 22nd Mercury and Jupiter are close low in the twilight, within a binocular field of each other.

Venus starts the month high in the eastern morning twilight and is readily visible an hour before sunrise below Mars. Venus and Mars form a pair which slowly come closer over the Month, the pair are closest on the 16th at about 4 degrees, then they draw apart again. Saturn comes closer to Venus during the month. On the 28th the thin crescent moon, Mars, and Venus form a line, with Saturn to the side of Venus. On the 29th, Saturn and Venus are at their closest and the thin crescent moon, Mars, Venus and Saturn form a triangle. Venus is a crescent/First quarter shape in telescopes at the beginning of the month and will wax as the month progresses to a half moon shape by the end of the month.

Earth is at equinox on Monday, 21 March. At this time day and night are roughly equal in duration.

 Marsis high the morning sky in March, Mars makes an attractive triangle with Venus and Mercury at the beginning of the month, and is readily visible an hour before sunrise, above bright Venus. Venus and Mars form a pair which slowly come closer over the month, the pair are closest on the 16th at about 4 degrees, then they draw apart again. Mars slowly brightens but is outshone by brilliant Venus. Later in the month Mars, Venus and Saturn form a triangle. On the 28th and then the 29th the sight of the pair of Venus and Mars, the thin crescent Moon, and Saturn in the eastern sky an hour before sunrise will be impressive.

Jupiterreturns to the morning sky from mid month but is really only visible in the twilight glow in the last part of the month. On the 21st and 22nd Mercury and Jupiter are close low in the twilight, within a binocular field of each other, and you may need binoculars to see them clearly. on the 31st the thin crescent Moon is close to Jupiter low in the twilight.

Saturn climbs higher in the morning sky in March, first climbing towards Mercury tehn Venus. On the 3rd Saturn and Mercury are very close (0.7 degrees apart) and can be seen together in medium power telescope eye pieces. Saturn comes closer to Venus during the month. On the 28th the thin crescent moon, Mars, and Venus form a line, with Saturn to the side of Venus. On the 29th, Saturn and Venus are at their closest and the thin crescent moon, Mars, Venus and Saturn form a triangle.

Moon: Perigee March 24 and at apogee March 11.