science

do not miss! The conjunction of the planet and the moon this weekend

March 27, 2022
Callie Robertson
jointly time! This is the view of the northern hemisphere. Viewing the southern hemisphere, below, is better. The Moon, bright Venus, faint Mars, and Saturn cluster together in an 8-degree circle on March 27 and 28, 2022. Diagram by John Jardine Goss.

27 and 28 March in the morning

In the early morning sky on March 27 and 28, 2022, you can catch a crescent moon retreat The moon passes through three planets. The planets are close together in a series of coupling. Venus is the brightest planet, and near it there are two fainter planets, Saturn in the lower and Mars in the west.

On the morning of Sunday, March 27, the moon approaches Mars on the sky’s dome. The moon that morning will be about 25% lit heading toward it new Moon On 1 April.

But the scene on March 28 is the real stunner. Then the moon, bright Venus, dim Mars, and Saturn come together in an eight-degree circle on the sky’s vault. because it’s a file waning moon, its phase will be thinner than the previous morning, only about 16% lit. Quadrilateral makes for a beautiful photo capture. And you get a great picture, Send it to us!

Note to telescope users: a faint comet, 22p/kopf, near the planets on March 27 and 28. But in size 11And as the dawn breaks, you’ll need your telescope to catch it, as well as dark skies, and the experience of seeing fainter objects.

Conjunction time: planets and moon

planets in jointly With the waning moon on the mornings of March. In addition, there is a conjunction between Venus and Saturn on March 29th. And in all of these conjunctions, at the times below, two objects have the same correct ascent (Like the celestial meridian on an imaginary grid of sky surrounding the earth.) Details here:

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Mars 4 grades north of the moon at 3 world time on March 28
Venus is 7 grades north of the moon at 10 UTC On March 28.
Saturn 4 grades north of the moon at 12 UTC On March 28.
flower is 2 grades north of Saturn in 13 UTC On March 29th.

The view from the southern hemisphere

The view is better than in the Southern Hemisphere, where the path of the ecliptic cuts at a steeper angle across the horizon. Not only will you see Venus, Mars, and Saturn alongside the Moon, but you can also spot Jupiter before sunrise.

Venus, Mars, and Saturn are at the top, Jupiter is near the horizon, and the Moon is on the right.
Morning sky on March 28 for southern hemisphere sky watchers. I was lucky! Because eclipses—or the path of the sun, moon, and planets in our sky—make a steep angle with the dawn horizon on an autumn morning and the event happens to you directly above sunrise, rather than to one side as it does for people in the northern hemisphere. Diagram via John Jardine Goose.

Bottom line: See the morning planets — Venus, Mars, and Saturn — side by side, as well as the Moon joining the scene on March 27 and 28, 2022. In the Southern Hemisphere, you might see Jupiter, too.

Read: EarthSky Night Sky Guide for March and April 2022

Kelly Keizer Weight

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About the author:

Kelly Kaiser Witte is a science writer who has specialized in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and has made regular contributions to Astronomy Today and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her children’s picture book, Solar System Forecasts, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult novel, A Different Sky. When she’s not reading or writing about astronomy and star gazing, she enjoys traveling to national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and kayaking. Kelly lives with her family in Wisconsin.

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