Astro News

Friday, March 10

Look for Saturn glowing to the upper right of the Moon in
early evening, as shown here. Later in the night, Saturn
shifts to the Moon's right and then lower right.

Saturday, March 11

The asteroid 3 Juno, magnitude 9.3, is 33 arcminutes north
of Lambda Orionis in the head of Orion this evening.

Sunday, March 12

The bright eclipsing variable star Algol should be in one of
its periodic dimmings, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1,
for a couple hours centered on 10:47 p.m. EST. Algol takes
several additional hours to fade and to rebrighten.

Monday, March 13

The red long-period variable star S Hydrae should be at its
maximum brightness (8th magnitude) this week.

Tuesday, March 14

Full Moon and a penumbral eclipse of the Moon. This weak eclipse
is visible from eastern North America and South America at dusk,
Europe and Africa in the middle of the night, and Central and
South Asia at dawn. Deepest eclipse comes at 23:47 Universal Time
on the 14th (6:47 p.m. Eastern Standard Time), with pale shading
washing the Moon's southern side for about an hour before and after.

Wednesday, March 15

Algol is at minimum light for a couple hours around 7:36 p.m. EST.

Thursday, March 16

Look for Spica near the Moon after they rise this evening.


This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury is hidden in the glare of the Sun.

Venus (magnitude -4.4) is the brilliant white "Morning Star" blazing
low in the southeast just before and during dawn.

Mars (magnitude +0.9) shines yellow-orange high in the west at
dusk and lower in the west later in the evening.

Jupiter (magnitude -2.3) rises in the east-southeast around 10:30 p.m.
It's now highest in the south around 3 a.m.

There's a strange event brewing on the giant planet. Jupiter's
long-enduring "white oval" designated BA has reddened to

become what observers are calling "Red Spot Junior."

Saturn (magnitude 0.0) glows very high in the southeast to south during
evening.

Uranus and Neptune are hidden in the glow of dawn.

Pluto (magnitude 14) is in the southeast before the first light of dawn.

2003 UB313 (magnitude 19) is low in the west right after dark.



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