19.02.2017 19:55 | Alexander Kozlovsky
This week, Mercury will pass superior conjunction with the Sun (March 6), and the Moon (Ф= 0.67+) will reach maximum declination (+18.9 degrees) (March 7), and then pass 4 degrees south of the star cluster Nursery (M44). On March 10, the Moon will cover (F = 0.97+) Regulus with visibility in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean, and on March 11, the night star will be in the ascending node of its orbit. In addition, the long-period variable star T Dove will be near its maximum brightness (6.5m), the satellites of Jupiter will diverge to their maximum angular distance from Jupiter (March 8), the asteroid Daphne will reach opposition to the Sun (March 9), and comet Encke will pass its perihelion orbits (March 10).
From the planets of the solar system: Mercury is visible against the background of the evening dawn at the end of the week, Venus and Mars are observed in the evenings, Jupiter can be observed all night, Saturn occupies the morning sky, and Uranus is visible in the evening, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to find it. Detailed planetary ephemerides are given in the printed version.
Of the relatively bright (up to 9.0m photographic brightness) long-period variable stars (according to AAVSO data) observed from the territory of our country, the maximum brightness was reached: T Hercules 8.0m - March 7, T Hydra 7.8m - March 9, T Sagittarius 8.0m - March 10, S Cepheus 8.3m - March 10, RZ Scorpio 8.8m - March 11, RY Ophiuchus 8.2m - March 11, T Dove 7.5m - March 12.
Some close pairs of luminaries: Mars - Uranus, Moon - Regulus, Mars - Ceres, Mercury - lambda Pisces, Jupiter - Spica, Saturn - theta Ophiuchus, Uranus - mu Pisces, Neptune - lambda Aquarius, Vesta - beta Gemini.
Review of foggy celestial objects of the month -. Monthly video calendar http://www.youtube.com/user/AstroSmit And http://www.youtube.com/c/AstroMich.
Information about the phenomena of the past and future - in.
Review articles about planets and small bodies of the Solar System -.
Date a(2000.0) d(2000.0) r delta m elon. V PA con. Ceres (1) 9 Mar 2017 2h34m49.37s +11.28358 deg 2.779 3.284 9.1 51.6 53.23 65.2 Ari 13 Mar 2017 2h40m06.85s +11.87925 deg 2.776 3.323 9.1 49.1 54.20 65.8 Ari Vesta (4) 9 Mar 2017 7h28m53.57s +26.24833 deg 2.468 1.800 7.2 121.4 2.12 55.4 Gem 13 Mar 2017 7h29m23.72s +26.27536 deg 2.465 1.842 7.3 117.5 6.11 87.5 Gem Metis (9) 9 Mar 2017 10h21m38.19s +20. 43893 deg 2.315 1.360 9.4 159.2 32.88 283.2 Leo 13 Mar 2017 10h18m14.88s +20.61276 deg 2.321 1.382 9.5 154.9 29.59 280.2 Leo Irena (14) 9 Mar 2017 10h15m20.97s +26.94112 deg 2.192 1.259 9.2 153.2 28.49 286.2 Leo 13 Mar 2017 1 0h12m20.89s +27.11753 deg 2.189 1.274 9.3 149.3 25.00 281.3 Leo Eunomia (15) 9 Mar 2017 9h44m14.37s + 1.11212 deg 2.856 1.918 9.5 156.5 30.65 286.0 Sex 13 Mar 2017 9h41m18.78s + 1.33782 deg 2.863 1.945 9.6 152.3 27.78 287.7 Hya Amphitrite (29) 9 Mar 2017 10h55m05.94s + 9.17832 deg 2.591 1.603 9.2 172.8 37.08 282.3 Leo 13 Mar 2017 10h51m19.89s + 9.38061 deg 2.594 1.614 9.3 168.1 35.66 281.6 Leo Daphne (41) 9 Mar 2017 11h05m49.40s + 0.15325 deg 2.214 1.223 9.6 174.7 44.67 322.6 Leo 13 Mar 2017 11h03m03.16s + 1.11344 deg 2.204 1.214 9.6 172.5 45.21 323.7 Leo a right ascension for epoch 2000.0, d - declination for epoch 2000.0, r - distance from the Sun (AU), delta - distance from the Earth (AU), m - magnitude, elon. - elongation, V - angular velocity (seconds per hour), RA - position angle of the direction of movement of the celestial body, сon. - constellation
Selected astronomical phenomena of the week.
The time for the phenomena is given in Moscow =UT+3 hours (universal time UT is indicated separately). On Sergei Guryanov’s website you can use the web version of the AK for 2017 with a general overview of the starry sky and the phenomena of the month of March. Information from other phenomena is available in,
Useful tips
Very soon the year 2018 will come into its own, which promises a lot of interesting astronomical events. We continue to inform about these events to all those who look with bated breath at the starry sky, admiring the boundless mystery of space.
You will also learn about many interesting and significant dates in the coming year related to historical events (domestic and foreign) that had one way or another to do with space exploration.
According to the eastern calendar, the upcoming year is the year of the yellow dog. The dog, as you know, is man's friend, so, given the reputation of this symbol of 2018, we can hope that it will pass peacefully, with nice mood.
And even approaching our planet skull-shaped asteroid, which, according to some assumptions, is the nucleus of a degenerate comet (a comet that has lost most of its volatile substances and therefore does not form a tail), will “friendly” fly past at a distance exceeding one hundred distances of the Moon from the Earth.
© eranicle/Getty Images
Astronomical calendar 2018
In 2018, we will have a whole five eclipses: three solar and two lunar. One solar and one lunar eclipse will be observed in the winter of the coming year, while the remaining three eclipses will be observed during the summer months.
Solar eclipses will be recorded in the new year February 15, July 13 and August 11. Lunar eclipses will be celebrated January 31 and July 27. Lunar eclipses will be total; solar eclipses are partial. Only the third solar eclipse will be observed on Russian territory.
In the coming year, it will also be possible to observe how all the celestial bodies of the solar system, revolving around the Sun in their orbit, are somewhat slow down their movement relative to the Earth (that is, they will be retrograde). Most often in 2018, Mercury will be in retrograde – three times.
We should take these phenomena into account, since they limit a person in some new endeavors in a given period, sometimes turning around increased conflict and emotionality. Mercury in the new year will be retrograde during from March 23 to April 15, from July 26 to August 19 and from November 17 to December 7, 2018.
You should take into account the retrograde periods of other planets in the coming year: Venus- With October 5 to November 16; Mars – from June 27 to August 27; Jupiter – from March 9 to July 10; Saturn – from April 18 to September 6; Uranus – from August 7 to January 6; Neptune – from June 19 to November 25; Pluto – from April 22 to October 1.
© bankmini/Getty Images
If you observe the above celestial bodies from the surface of the Earth during retrograde periods, you may get the feeling that one or another planet is moving forward along its trajectory, and then - heading back. In fact, this effect occurs when a celestial body “overtakes” the Earth, then slowing down.
Astronomical objects 2018
In the coming year there will also be a significant event of astronomical proportions, which is repeated once once every 15 or 17 years. This is about The Great Opposition of Mars- a period when the planet Mars, closest to the Earth, provides a unique opportunity to study its surface using telescopes.
It is believed that behind such a rapprochement, some significant events are taking place on our planet. The Last Great Opposition of Mars was celebrated August 28, 2003. In 2018 approach of Earth and Mars will also happen in the summer , July 27.
Residents of the southern hemisphere will be the luckiest in the coming year, as they will be able to observe Mars naked eye at zenith. But with the observation of Venus in 2018, the situation is a little worse due to its low position in the evening above the horizon, although it can be detected with the naked eye even in the daytime until the end of October.
© ABDESIGN/Getty Images
Even Uranus will be visible to the naked eye in the coming year, but this will only be possible in autumn months with a clear knowledge of the star chart, and only after preparing your eyes accordingly (after sitting in the dark for half an hour). And to see the disk of the planet very clearly, you need a telescope with magnification 150 times.
Astronomers also predict a potentially dangerous approach to the surface of our planet. 13 asteroids. Asteroids will be the first “swallows” "2003CA4" And "306383 1993VD" that will approach in the end of January. A dangerous approach of an asteroid is also reported 2015 DP155, which will approach the Earth on minimum distance June 11.
This article also pays special attention to “working schedule” of our planet’s satellite: the reader will be able to obtain information about the phases of the Moon by finding out when the Moon is at its minimum distance from the Earth (at perigee), at its maximum (at apogee); study the schedule of full moons and new moons and more.
So, we bring to your attention the most vivid and memorable astronomical events of 2018, which may be of interest not only to people professionally interested in astronomy, but also to ordinary amateurs. All events in the article are recorded in Moscow time.
© Arndt_Vladimir / Getty Images
Astronomical observations 2018
JANUARY
January 3 – today the Quadrantid meteorite shower will reach its pronounced maximum, which only residents of the northern hemisphere of our planet will be able to observe. Some period of peak activity will occur on the night of January 4th. The number of visible meteors per hour (zenith hour number) this year will be about one hundred.
January 31 – Lunar eclipse (peak at 16:30). This will be a total lunar eclipse, which can be observed from the Asian part of Russian territory; from the territory of Belarus, Ukraine; in the eastern part of Western Europe. The eclipse will also be recorded in Central Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Alaska, western Africa and northwestern Canada. In various phases, the eclipse will be available for observation from all over Russia.
In January 2018, the United States of America plans to launch the first super-heavy-class launch vehicle - FalconHeavy. It is assumed that the carrier will be used to deliver cargo to low Earth orbit (up to 64 tons), as well as to Mars (up to 17 tons) and Pluto (up to 3.5 tons).
© prill/Getty Images
FEBRUARY
February, 15 – Solar eclipse (peak at 23:52). This partial eclipse will not be observable from the territory of the Russian Federation. However, if you were in South America or Antarctica during this period, you would be presented with a rather beautiful sight (the maximum phase of this eclipse is 0.5991, whereas with a total eclipse it is equal to one).
March, 6 – Today marks the 81st anniversary of the birth of the world’s first female cosmonaut, Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova.
9th of March – Today marks the 84th anniversary of the birth of pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.
© Foxy Dolphin
APRIL
12th of April – Cosmonautics Day in Russia or International Day of Human Space Flight.
April 22 – today will be the peak of the Lyrid starfall with a maximum observed number of meteors per hour of no more than 20. This short-lived meteor shower, celebrated from April 16 to April 25, will be observed closer to the sunrise by residents of the Earth's northern hemisphere.
© Nikolay Zirov/Getty Images
MAY
the 6th of May – the peak of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, whose radiant is located in the constellation Aquarius. This fairly powerful meteor shower, associated with Halley's Comet, with a visible number of meteors reaching 70 per hour, is most clearly visible in the hours before dawn.
Read also:
JUNE
June 7 – the maximum of the Arietids meteor shower, which will occur during the daytime. Despite the fairly large zenith hour number (about 60 observed meteors per hour), it is impossible to see the Arietids starfall with the naked eye. However, some amateurs manage to capture it with binoculars after three in the morning, even from Moscow.
June 20 – in the night sky it will be possible to observe with the naked eye one of the largest asteroids in the main asteroid belt, asteroid Vesta. The asteroid will pass at a distance of 229 million kilometers, and it will be possible to observe it at the latitude of the Russian capital.
© m-gucci/Getty Images
JULY
July 13 – Solar eclipse (peak at 06:02 am). This partial eclipse will be visible to residents of Tasmania and southern Australia. In addition, it can be observed from Antarctic stations located in the eastern part of Antarctica, and from ships sailing the Indian Ocean (between Antarctica and Australia). The maximum phase of the eclipse is 0.3365.
July 27 – Lunar eclipse (peak at 23:22). Residents of southern Russia and the Urals will be able to observe this total eclipse; it will also be able to be seen by residents of the southern and eastern parts of Africa, southern and central Asia, and the Middle East. During the same period, residents of the entire planet (except for Chukotka, Kamchatka and North America) will be able to see a penumbral lunar eclipse.
10:40 01.03.17
Sky of March 2017
In March 2017, 6 planets, 23 asteroids brighter than +12 magnitude* and four comets will be available for observation.
Moon March 5th enters the first quarter phase, the 12th the full moon, and the 20th the last quarter. There will be a new moon on the 28th. On March 5 at 1 am there will be a conjunction of the Moon and Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. On March 11 at 1 am there will be a conjunction with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo (see figure), on March 14 after 11 pm the Moon will pass near Jupiter, and on March 20 after 6 am near Saturn.
Mercury you can try to find it after March 20 in the west near the horizon within an hour after sunset. The planet's brightness gradually decreases from -0.4 to +1. On March 26, Uranus will be next to Mercury, and the Moon will be next to Mercury on March 29.
Venus visible in the evenings just after sunset as a very bright white star in the southwest, west in the constellation Pisces. The period of visibility of the planet is sharply reduced and disappears almost to “no” by March 20. At the end of the month, you can try to detect Venus both after sunset near the horizon in the west and before sunrise in the east. A short period of so-called “double visibility” ensues. The planet's brightness is -4.1. The phase gradually decreases, and the visible diameter increases. At the end of the month, even through binoculars, Venus will look like a small, thin crescent. People with perfect vision will be able to distinguish the crescent of Venus with the naked eye.
Mars visible low in the southwest, west for several hours after sunset as a not very bright orange star. The planet moves through the constellations Pisces and Aries. Planet brightness +1.3.
Jupiter can be observed from late evening until morning as a bright yellow star in the constellation Virgo. The planet's visibility period is increasing every day. Already through binoculars, the Galilean satellites are visible near Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io. Gloss -2.3.
Saturn visible after 4 a.m. in the southeast as a fairly bright star in the constellation Sagittarius. The planet's brightness is +0.5.
Uranus visible in the evenings in the constellation Pisces as a +5.9 magnitude star in the first half of the month. To find the planet you need a star map and at least binoculars.
Neptune not visible due to its proximity to the Sun.
In March, 23 asteroids have a magnitude greater than +12, the brightest will be Vesta(constellation Gemini, +7.1), Ceres(constellation Cetus and Aries, +9.0), Irena(constellation Leo, +9.1), Amphitrite(constellation Leo, +9.1), Metis(constellation Leo, +9.2), Eunomia(constellation Sextant, +9.3), Daphne(constellation Leo, +9.8 and Pallas(constellation Aquarius, +9.9). To find all asteroids you need binoculars, often a telescope and a star map. Any asteroid in a telescope looks like an ordinary star, which moves among the stars day by day.
Comets available for observation will be: Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresaka(magnitude +7, constellations Cancer, Leo, Lynx, Ursa Major and Draco, all night), Encke(magnitude +8, at the very beginning of the month, within an hour after sunset in the west), Johnson(magnitude +8, all night, constellation Hercules) and Honda-Mrkos-Paidushakova(magnitude +10, all night, constellation Leo). To find all the mentioned comets you need a telescope and a star chart. Comets are visible through a telescope as gray hazy spots of varying brightness and size. The presence of a tail is optional.
Image: Stellarium
* The “magnitude” or “stellar magnitude” of a celestial object is a measure of its brightness. The lower the magnitude, the brighter the celestial object. Accordingly, if we say “brilliance increases,” then its numerical value decreases. Thus, the Sun has a magnitude of -26, the full Moon -12, the stars of the Ursa Major bucket on average +2. A person in urban areas sees stars up to magnitude +4, in rural areas up to +6. The limit for binoculars (in the absence of sky illumination) is +8...+10, for a small telescope (in the absence of sky illumination) +12..+13.
In March Mercury The best evening visibility period of 2017 is approaching. Mercury will be available for observation from the middle of the month, moving through the constellation Pisces. U Venus in the middle of the month, due to the large elongation during the inferior conjunction with the Sun and the brightness, double visibility is observed in the mornings and evenings. Mars visible at dawn in the constellations Pisces and Aries. Jupiter observed in the night and morning sky in the constellation Virgo, moving above its bright star Spica. Saturn visible at night and morning in the constellation Sagittarius. Uranus is located in the evening sky in the constellation Pisces. Neptune hiding in the rays of the rising Sun.
Moon will approach the indicated planets: March 1 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.09 - with Venus, March 2 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.17 - with Mars and Uranus, March 15 at night with a lunar phase of 0.96 - with Jupiter, March 20 at night with lunar phase 0.56 - with Saturn, March 26 in the morning with a lunar phase of 0.05 - with Neptune, March 28 in the new moon - with Venus, March 29 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.02 - with Mercury and Uranus, March 30 in the evening with a lunar phase phase 0.07 - again with Mars. For observations, it is better to choose nights when the Moon does not pass near the observed planet near its full phases.
Visibility conditions are given for the middle latitudes of Russia (about 56° N). For cities to the north and south, the celestial bodies will be located at the indicated time, respectively, slightly lower or higher (by the difference in latitude) relative to their places in the Bratsk sky. To clarify the local visibility conditions of planets, use planetarium programs.
MERCURY moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations Aquarius and Pisces. The planet passes superior conjunction with the Sun on March 7, moving into the evening sky. The movements of Mercury against the background of stars can be observed from February 27 to March 14 (Mercury is a bright object in the photographs, moving from right to left under the Sun). You can begin visual observations of Mercury after the middle of the month, and by the end of the month the duration of visibility will increase to 1.5 hours. This is Mercury's most favorable evening visibility in 2017.
The elongation of Mercury after the conjunction increases to 18 degrees in the period under review. Mercury's apparent diameter increases from 4 to 7 arcseconds as it falls from -1.7m at conjunction to -0.3m by the end of the month. The phase of Mercury increases from 1.0 to 0.46 per month. To successfully observe Mercury during periods of visibility, you need binoculars, an open horizon and a clear twilight sky.
Mercury in the evening sky in the second half of March 2017
VENUS On March 4, it will pass its stationary point and reverse its movement, also moving through the constellation Pisces. The planet is visible in the evenings high above the western horizon for about 2 hours. Moreover, March 14th will come Venus double visibility period(in the evening at sunset and in the morning just before sunrise). This unique period will not last long; after March 24, Venus will finally move into the morning sky. Venus will make its inferior conjunction with the Sun on March 26 at 8.3 degrees above the daylight body (such a large elongation during the conjunction ensures a period of double visibility of Venus). The movements of Venus against the background of stars from March 25 to 27 can be observed in the field of view of the SOHO coronagraph (Venus is a bright object moving from left to right above the Sun, at the very edge of the image). The visibility of Venus in the morning sky at the end of the month will be about half an hour.
The angular dimensions of the planet's disk increase from 47 to 58 arcseconds. The phase of the planet after the conjunction increases from 0.0 to 0.02 with a falling brightness from -4.8m to -3.1m. The elongation of the planet before the conjunction drops from 33 to 8.3 degrees from the Sun, after which it increases to 12 degrees. In the telescope before the conjunction, a decreasing crescent is visible with a simultaneous increase in the size of the planet, because The distance between Venus and Earth is decreasing. After the conjunction, the phase of the planet will begin to increase, reaching 0.02 by the end of the month.
Double visibility of Venus in the evening and morning skies of March 2017
MARS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellation Pisces and Aries. It can be observed in the evenings for 3 hours above the western horizon. The planet's elongation decreases from 42 to 34 degrees east of the Sun. The planet's brightness decreases over the month from +1.3m to +1.5m, and the angular diameter remains at 4".
For observations, a telescope with a lens diameter of 60-90 mm is required. The best time to observe details on the disk of Mars is the moment of opposition, which occurs every two years. At other times, Mars appears through a telescope as a tiny reddish disk with no details. The closest opposition of Mars will occur on July 27, 2018 (Great Opposition!).
The position of Mars in the evening sky in early March 2017
JUPITER moves backward through the constellation Virgo (above *Spica), approaching the moment of opposition on April 8. The gas giant is visible throughout the night and in the morning (about 9 o'clock). The angular diameter of the giant planet in the sky increases from 42 to 44 arc seconds, and its brightness from -2.2m to -2.4m. Jupiter's best visibility period has arrived in 2017, which will last until May.
Position of Jupiter in the night sky March 2017
Through binoculars, four bright satellites of the giant are visible - due to the rapid orbital motion, they noticeably change their position relative to each other and Jupiter during one night (the configurations of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto can be found in astronomical calendars or in planetarium programs).
The telescope distinguishes stripes (northern and southern equatorial stripes), shadows from satellites periodically pass across the disk of the planet, as well as the famous huge oval cyclone GRS (Great Red Spot), making a full revolution along with the planet’s atmosphere in 9.5 hours. The current longitude of the BKP can be found on the website http://jupos.privat.t-online.de/rGrs.htm. The BCP appears approximately 2 hours before passing through the meridian and disappears 2 hours later (goes beyond the disk).
Moments of the passage of the BKP through the central meridian of Jupiter in MARCH 2017 (universal time UT)
To get the time for Bratsk, you need to add 8 hours to universal time
Current longitude of BKP 262°
| 1 06:36 16:32 2 02:29 12:25 22:20 3 08:13 18:09 4 04:06 14:02 23:57 5 09:51 19:46 |
6 05:43 15:39 7 01:36 11:32 21:28 8 07:21 17:16 9 03:14 13:09 23:05 10 08:58 18:54 11 04:51 14:46 12 00:44 10:39 20:35 |
13 06:28 16:24 14 02:21 12:17 22:12 15 08:05 18:01 16 03:58 13:54 23:49 17 09:43 19:38 18 05:35 15:31 19 01:28 11:24 21:20 |
20 07:13 17:08 21 03:05 13:01 22:57 22 08:50 18:46 23 04:43 14:38 24 00:35 10:31 20:27 25 06:20 16:16 26 02:13 12:08 22:04 |
27 07:57 17:53 |
SATURN moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Sagittarius. The planet is observed for about 3 hours at night and in the morning above the southeastern and southern horizon. The angular diameter of Saturn is 16 seconds of arc at a magnitude of +0.5m.
In a small telescope, the ring around the planet and the satellite Titan (+8m) are clearly visible. The apparent dimensions of the planet's ring are about 40x16 arcseconds. Currently, the planet's rings are open to 27° and the northern pole of the gas giant is illuminated by the Sun.
Saturn's position in the morning sky in March 2017
URANUS moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces. The planet can be observed in the evenings (about 3 hours at the beginning of the month, up to half an hour at the end of the month) during moonless periods (at the beginning and end of the month) in the western part of the sky. The planet's brightness is +5.8m with an angular diameter of 3".
During periods of opposition, Uranus can be observed with the naked eye in a clear, transparent sky, in the absence of illumination from the Moon (near the new moon) and away from city lights. In a 150-mm telescope with a magnification of 80x and higher, you can see the greenish disk (“pea”) of the planet. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness less than +13m.
The path of Uranus among the stars in 2017 (search map)© Blog of Fedor Sharov
The position of Uranus, Mars and Venus in the evening sky in early March 2017
Selected astronomical events of the month (Moscow time):
March 1— The Moon (Ф = 0.13+) passes near Mars and Uranus,
2nd of March- Neptune conjunct the Sun,
2nd of March— Venus in standing with the transition from direct to retrograde movement,
March, 3rd— Moon (Ф= 0.26+) at perigee at a distance from the center of the Earth 369060 km,
March 4— Mercury passes one degree south of Neptune,
5th of March— lunar occultation (Ф = 0.46+) of the star Aldebaran when visible in North America (the occultation of the Hyades stars is visible in Russia and the CIS),
5th of March— Moon in first quarter phase,
March 7— Mercury in superior conjunction with the Sun,
March 7— Moon (Ф= 0.67+) at maximum declination (+18.9 degrees),
9th of March— The Moon (Ф= 0.88+) passes 4 degrees south of the Manger star cluster (M44),
10th of March— lunar coverage (Ф = 0.97+) Regula with visibility in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean,
11th of March— The Moon is in the ascending node of the orbit,
March 12— long-period variable star T Golubii near maximum brightness (6.5m),
March 12- full moon,
March 14th— The Moon (Ф = 0.95-) passes one and a half degrees north of Jupiter (near Spica),
March 15th— long-period variable star R Cygni near maximum brightness (6.5m),
18th of March— Moon (Ф = 0.68-) at apogee at a distance from the center of the Earth 404650 km,
18th of March- long-period variable star RS Cygni near maximum brightness (6.5m),
20th of March- the vernal equinox,
20th of March— Moon (Ф= 0.5-) near Saturn,
20th of March— Moon in last quarter phase,
21 March— Moon (Ф= 0.44-) at minimum declination (-18.9 degrees),
March 23— Mercury at perihelion of its orbit,
March 25— Venus conjunct the Sun 8 degrees north (double visibility in the evening and morning),
March 25— Moon (Ф = 0.1-) in the descending node of the orbit,
26 March— lunar coverage (Ф = 0.05-) of Neptune with visibility in Africa, Arabia, India and the waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans,
26 March— Mercury passes 2 degrees north of Uranus,
March 28- new moon,
March 29— Moon (Ф= 0.01+) near Uranus,
30th of March— Moon (Ф = 0.08+) at perigee at a distance from the center of the Earth 363855 km,
30th of March— Moon (Ф= 0.09+) near Mars,
March 31 is a long-period variable star RR Sagittarius near maximum brightness (6m).
Sun moves through the constellation Aquarius until March 12, and then moves into the constellation Pisces. The declination of the central star gradually increases, reaching the celestial equator on March 20 (spring equinox), and the length of the day quickly increases over the month from 10 hours 43 minutes to 13 hours 02 minutes at the latitude of Moscow. The midday altitude of the Sun will increase over the month at this latitude from 26 to 38 degrees. Observations of spots and other formations on the surface of the daylight can be carried out through a telescope or binoculars and even with the naked eye (if the spots are large enough). But we must remember that a visual study of the Sun through a telescope or other optical instruments must (!!) be carried out using a solar filter (recommendations for observing the Sun are available in the Nebosvod magazine http://astronet.ru/db/msg/1222232) .
Moon will begin to move across the March sky at the border of the constellations Pisces and Cetus at a phase of 0.07. The first March evening will be colorful in terms of visibility of the Moon and planets, because... against the background of dawn, a thin crescent moon, Venus and Mars will be visible. Having passed south of Mars and Uranus at a phase of 0.12, the young month will move into the constellation Cetus on March 2, and into the constellation Aries on March 3. Having increased the phase to 0.3, the young month on March 4 will already be in the constellation Taurus, where on March 5 it will once again cover the stars of the Hyades and Aldebaran clusters at a phase of about 0.5 and near the perigee of its orbit. Continuing its journey, the night star on March 6 will visit the constellation Orion at a phase of about 0.6. During this period, the Moon rises to its greatest height above the horizon. The bright lunar disk will spend in the constellation Gemini from March 6 to 8, and then move to the constellation Cancer at a phase of 0.83. Here the lunar oval will remain until March 10, entering the constellation Leo on the same day. Having passed south of Regulus on March 10 (the occultation of the star when visible in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean), with a phase of less than 1, the night luminary will continue to move through the expanses of the constellation Leo. In this constellation, the Moon will enter the full moon phase on March 12, and on the same day will move into the constellation Virgo. Here, on March 14, the Moon, with a phase of about 0.95, will pass north of Jupiter and Spica, and on March 16 it will move to the constellation Libra, where it will remain until March 18 (the apogee of the orbit), reaching the border with the constellation Scorpio. On the same day, with a phase of more than 0.65, the Moon will begin to move through the constellation Ophiuchus, showing off in the morning sky low above the horizon and gradually decreasing its phase. On March 20, the night star will move into the constellation Sagittarius and pass north of Saturn at a phase of about 0.5. Having completed an almost three-day journey through Sagittarius, the crescent moon, with a phase of less than 0.3, will move into the constellation Capricorn on March 23. In two days, the Moon will enter the constellation Aquarius at a phase of about 0.1, where on March 26 it will cover Neptune with visibility in Africa, Arabia, India and the waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The Moon will enter its new moon phase at the border of the constellations Pisces and Cetus on March 28. In the evening sky, the Moon will appear on the day of the new moon in the form of the thinnest crescent, which will decorate the western sky, while being near Mars and Uranus. On March 30, the young month will visit the constellation Cetus, on March 31 - in the constellation Aries, rising higher and higher above the horizon, and will complete its journey across the March sky in the constellation Taurus near the Hyades (occultation on April 1) at a phase of about 0.2.
Mercury moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Aquarius, moving to the constellation Pisces on March 11, and to the constellation Aries on March 31. The planet is in the morning sky, but its visibility conditions are unfavorable. But on March 7, Mercury will pass superior conjunction with the Sun and move into the evening sky. It will be possible to observe it in the rays of the setting Sun in a week, and by the end of the month the visibility of the planet will increase to an hour and a half! This is the most favorable evening visibility in 2017. Mercury's elongation after the conjunction will increase from 2 to 19 degrees, and it will be easily observable above the western horizon as a star with a magnitude of about -1m. The apparent diameter of the fast planet near conjunction is about 5 arcseconds, increasing to 7 arcseconds by the end of the month. The phase decreases from 1 to 0.5, i.e. Mercury, when observed through a telescope, has the appearance of a disk, turning into an oval, and then into a half-disk. In May 2016, Mercury passed across the disk of the Sun, and the next transit will take place on November 11, 2019.
Venus moves in the same direction with the Sun (until March 2) in the constellation Pisces, where it will spend the entire period described. On March 2, the planet will change its movement from forward to backward. The Evening Star is observed at twilight for about two hours, but due to its high brightness (-4.5t) and distance from the Sun, it can be observed with the naked eye even at midday. It should be noted that observations of Venus during the daytime through a telescope are more efficient than after sunset, because there is no glare factor due to the brightness of our celestial neighbor. The angular distance of the planet decreases over the month from 33 to 8 degrees on the day of conjunction with the Sun on March 25, and then increases to 13 degrees in the morning sky. During the period of conjunction with the Sun, Venus has double visibility, which means the planet is visible both in the evening and in the morning. The apparent diameter of Venus increases from 47" to 60", and the phase decreases from 0.17 to 0.01. This means that the telescope observes a crescent decreasing in thickness with a simultaneous increase in the apparent diameter of the planet. Venus surpasses in apparent size all other planets in the solar system.
Mars moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Pisces (not far from Uranus), moving into the constellation Aries on March 7. The planet is observed in the evening above the southwestern horizon for about three hours. The planet's brightness decreases from +1.3t to +1.5t, and its apparent diameter decreases from 4.6" to 4.2". Mars is gradually moving away from Earth, and the opportunity to see the planet near opposition will appear only next year. Details on the surface of the planet (large) can be visually observed using an instrument with a lens diameter of 80 mm, and, in addition, photographically with subsequent processing on a computer.
Jupiter moves backwards through the constellation Virgo (near Spica), gradually approaching its opposition (April 7). The gas giant is visible in the night and morning skies, increasing its visibility to nine and a half hours by the end of the period described. The angular diameter of the largest planet in the solar system increases from 42.0" to 44.1" at a magnitude of -2.3m. The planet's disk is visible even through binoculars, and through a small telescope, stripes and other details are visible on the surface. The four large satellites are already visible with binoculars, and with medium-power telescopes in good visibility conditions you can observe the shadows of the satellites on the planet’s disk. Information about satellite configurations is in this CN. Saturn moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Sagittarius. The ringed planet can be found in the night and morning skies over the southeastern and southern horizons, and has a visibility of about three hours. The planet's brightness is about +0.5t with an apparent diameter of about 17". With a small telescope you can observe the ring and the Titan satellite, as well as some of the other brighter satellites. The apparent dimensions of the planet's ring are on average 40×16” with an inclination of 27 degrees to the observer.
Uranus(5.9t, 3.4”) moves in the same direction with the Sun in the constellation Pisces (near the star zeta Psc with a magnitude of 5.2t). The planet can be observed in the evenings in the southwestern sky. Uranus, rotating “on its side,” is easily detected with the help of binoculars and search maps, and a telescope with a diameter of 80 mm or more with a magnification of more than 80 times and a transparent sky will help you to see the disk of Uranus. The planet can be seen with the naked eye during new moons in a dark, clear sky, but such an opportunity will arise only in late summer, autumn and winter. The moons of Uranus have a brightness less than 13t.
Neptune(7.9t, 2.3”) moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Aquarius near the star lambda Aqr (3.7m). The planet is not visible, because On March 2, there is a conjunction with the Sun, and will appear in the morning sky only in April. To search for the planet during the visibility period, you will need binoculars and star charts in the Astronomical Calendar for 2017, and the disk will be visible in a telescope of 100 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 100 times (with a clear sky). The series of occultations of Neptune by the Moon continues (the next occultation is on March 26). Neptune can be captured photographically with the simplest camera (even a stationary one) with a shutter speed of about 10 seconds. Neptune's moons have a brightness less than 13g.
From comets, visible in March from the territory of our country, three comets will have an estimated brightness of about Yuta and brighter: Encke, Johnson (C/2015 V2) and P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak (41P). Comet Encke, with a maximum estimated brightness of 3.5 tons, moves through the constellations Pisces and Aquarius. The celestial wanderer Johnson (C/2015 V2) moves through the constellation Hercules, having an estimated brightness of about 9m. P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak (4IP) with a maximum estimated magnitude of 7t (at the end of the month) is moving north along the constellations Cancer, Leo, Lynx, Ursa Major and Draco. The calculated gloss may not match the real one. Details of other comets of the month (with maps and brightness forecasts) are available at http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html, and observational results are available at http://cometbase.net/.
Among the asteroids the brightest in March will be Vesta (7.1t), as well as Ceres, Metis, Irene, Eunomia, Amphitrite and Daphne (magnitude about 9t). Vesta moves through the constellation Gemini, Eunomia through the constellations Sextant and Hydra, Ceres through the constellations Cetus and Aries, and Metis, Irene, Amphitrite and Daphne through the constellation Leo. In total, in March, the brightness of Yut will exceed seven asteroids. Maps of the paths of asteroids and comets are given in the appendix to the KN (file mapkn032017.pdf). Information on occultation of stars by asteroids at http://asteroidoccultation.com/Index.Ail.htm.
Of the relatively bright long-period variable stars (observed from the territory of Russia and the CIS), the maximum brightness this month (according to Fedor Sharov’s calendar memo, source - AAVSO) was achieved by: RY Hercules 9.0t - March 4, T. Andromeda 8.5t - March 4 , T Hercules 8.0t - March 7, T Hydra 7.8t - March 9, T Sagittarius 8.0t - March 10, S Cepheus 8.3t - March 10, RZ Scorpio 8.8t - March 11, RY Ophiuchus 8.2t - March 11, T Dove 7.5t - March 12, R Cygnus 7.5t - March 15, RS Cygnus 7.2t - March 18, RT Libra 9.0t - March 20, V Gemini 8.5t - March 21, W Northern Crown 8.5t - March 21, Z Sagittarius 8.6t - March 21, RU Cygnus 8.0t - March 24, T Pegasus 8.9t - March 27, RR Sagittarius 6.8t - March 31. More information at http://www.aavso.org/.
Clear skies and successful observations!