The March Sky

Paul Curtin


Noteworthy Events this Month: Daylight saving time begins 14 March. Northern observers can look for the Zodiacal light in the west after twilight beginning 3 March and continuing for about two weeks. The Equinox is 20 March. 
 
After several months of excitement, the far northern sky takes a break. Eastern Camelopardalis hosts a number of hard to find galaxies scattered amongst faint, unruly star fields. The observer is well advised to chart the star hop from Ursa Major in the east. Lynx, slightly more orderly, runs from the head of Auriga towards Leo Major. Look for it in the region between Ursa Major and northern Gemini. Follow iota Cancri north to find the galaxy NGC 2683. On either side of the boundary with Leo Minor we find a number of galaxies worth locating. There are some multiple stars in Lynx that merit attention. NGC 2419, due north of omicron Geminorum, is an isolated globular cluster wandering along the border with Auriga. 
 
Scan eastward from Gemini to find the small box shape of Cancer. The fuzzy patch at the center of the box is M44, the Beehive or Praesepe. Use binoculars to best view this lovely open cluster. With a telescope, look for the fainter open cluster M67, west of alpha. 
 
South of Cancer is the head of Hydra. This constellation wanders eastward into the northern summer sky. The open cluster M48 is near the border with Monoceros. NGC 2610 is a planetary nebula southwest of 12, due west from 9. 
 
Pyxis, to the south, gives us our first view of the Milky Way this month. The finest objects here are the open clusters NGC 2658, 2635, and the planetary nebula NGC 2818. 
 
Vela contains even more Milky Way fields. This region boasts a stunning array of open clusters. The extended emission nebula known as the Gum nebula stretches across Vela and Puppis. 
 
Carina also contains a fine selection of deep sky objects. Look for the dazzling open cluster NGC 2516, the planetary nebulae NGC 2867 and 2501, the globular cluster NGC 2808, and the planetary nebula NGC 2448 west of beta. 

 
Planets in March 
   
Mercury is in the evening sky. 
 
Venus is the bright object in the west after sunset. Look for it near the crescent moon on the 17th. 
 
Mars is in the evening sky in Cancer. 
 
Jupiter is in the early morning sky. 
 
Saturn can be observed throughout the night. 
 
 
Bibliography 
 
Burnham, Robert Jr., Burnham's Celestial Handbook, New York: Dover, 1978.

Cooper, I., Kay, J., Kepple, G. R., The Night Sky Observers Guide, Volume 3, Richmond, Virginia, Willman-Bell, 2008.

Kelly, P. (ed.) Observers Handbook 2010, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009. 
 
Kepple, G. R., Sanner, G. W., The Night Sky Observers Guide, Richmond, Virginia: Willman-Bell, 1999.

Tirion, W., Rappaport, B., Remaklus, W., Uranometria Deep Sky Atlas, Richmond, Virginia: Willman-Bell, 2000.

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The Citizen Scientist (05 March 2010).