{"id":29762,"date":"2022-02-22T09:58:01","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T09:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=45399"},"modified":"2022-02-22T10:08:13","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T10:08:13","slug":"see-venus-saturn-mars-and-the-moon-this-march","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/see-venus-saturn-mars-and-the-moon-this-march\/","title":{"rendered":"See Venus, Saturn, Mars and the Moon this March"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 22 February 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The morning sky is getting interesting in March 2022 as a trio of planets jostle for position.<\/p>\n

Venus, Mars and Saturn all appear rather low when they are observed from the UK.<\/p>\n

Dimmer Mars and Saturn take advantage of the fact that they appear close to the bright planet Venus which, shining at mag. \u20134.4, is considerably easier to see despite its low pre-sunrise altitude.<\/p>\n

For more planetary observing advice, read our guide on how to see the planets this year<\/a>, listen to our monthly Star Diary podcast<\/a> our watch our monthly Online Planetarium<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Keep an eye on Venus, Mars and Saturn in March 2022, and watch out for a waning crescent Moon joining the trio of morning planets towards the month\u2019s end. This is the view looking southeast around 05:15 UT on 27 March. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

At the start of March<\/strong>, Mars rises approximately 90 minutes before the Sun, popping up above the southeast horizon while 5\u02da <\/span>south of Venus.<\/p>\n

Mars will be shining at mag. +1.3 on this date, and easy to recognise because of its orange hue.<\/p>\n

On 8 March<\/strong>, the gap will have closed between Venus and Mars, the separation being 4.3\u02da<\/span> on this date. Mars will be a fraction brighter too, at mag. +1.2.<\/p>\n

By 13 March<\/strong>, the gap will have dropped to a fraction less than 4\u02da<\/span>. It\u2019s about this time that mag. +0.9 Saturn may be glimpsed, rising 30 minutes after Mars.<\/p>\n

Venus remains close to Mars over the next few mornings, only starting to separate from the Red Planet around 18 March<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Mars, Venus and Saturn will be contained within a circle 12\u02da<\/span> across on this date.<\/p>\n

By 23 March<\/strong>, the containing circle will have reduced in size to 8.5\u02da<\/span>, the three planets now quite tightly packed together.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fascinating to watch the pattern formed by the trio change shape over the remainder of the month.<\/p>\n

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Look through 7\u00d750 binoculars on 31 March at 05:00 UT to catch three planets. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

On the morning of 24 March<\/strong>, they form a squat isosceles triangle, with Venus as the upper vertex.\u00a0Mars will have brightened to mag. +1.1 on this date.<\/p>\n

All three planets are above the horizon 60 minutes before the Sun, but will need at least 20 minutes longer to reach a visible altitude.<\/p>\n

An altitude-challenged waning crescent Moon<\/a> joins the group on 28 March<\/strong>. Located 5\u02da<\/span> below Mars, the 18%-lit waning crescent rises around 40 minutes before the Sun above the southeast horizon.<\/p>\n

By 31 March<\/strong>, all three planets are contained within an area 6\u02da<\/span> across. Venus appears east of the group on this date, shining at mag. \u20134.2 and the easiest to see by far.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Saturn remains at mag. +0.9, just 3\u02da <\/span>from Venus with mag. +1.1 Mars now 3.3\u02da<\/span> from Saturn.<\/p>\n

As March transitions into April, Venus leaves Mars and Saturn, the dimmer pair reducing their separation to just 19 arcseconds on 5 April<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

On that date, it will be possible to catch all three planets rising around the same time, approximately 80 minutes before the Sun above the east-southeast horizon.<\/p>\n

Observing Venus in March 2022<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Venus\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Venus will appear brighter against a darker sky at the start of the month. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Venus is a morning object in March, rising a couple of hours before the Sun at the month\u2019s start and 80 minutes before the Sun at the end.<\/p>\n

The planet reaches dichotomy this month, passing from crescent through to gibbous phase.<\/p>\n

Dichotomy is the term used to indicate when a planet (or the Moon) reaches the 50% phase.<\/p>\n

This month, dichotomy should occur on 21 March<\/strong>, but due to what\u2019s known as the \u2018phase anomaly\u2019, through the eyepiece<\/a> of a telescope Venus <\/span>will appear half-lit a few days later than this theoretical prediction.<\/p>\n

The phase anomaly is believed to be caused by how the planet\u2019s thick atmosphere scatters sunlight.<\/p>\n

Take a look through a telescope and make an estimate of the phase in the run up towards and beyond 21 March<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Venus drops in brightness over March, but only by a fifth of a magnitude.<\/p>\n

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Venus in its 50% phase. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

On 1 March<\/strong> this most brilliant of planets appears to shine at mag. \u20134.4. On 31 March<\/strong>, at mag. \u20134.2, Venus will still look intense against the morning\u2019s dawn twilight.<\/p>\n

It appears best at the month\u2019s start with a darker sky.<\/p>\n

Mars and Saturn appear close to Venus. Saturn will be too close to the Sun to see properly at the month\u2019s start, but it will be visible with Venus and Mars at the month\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

On 25 March<\/strong>, Venus sits 4.6\u02da from mag. +1.1 Mars, and 4.1\u02da from +0.9 Saturn, but the squat triangle formed by the three fails to gain much altitude above the southeast horizon as sunrise approaches.<\/p>\n

An 18%-lit waning crescent Moon lies below the trio on the morning of 28 March<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Observing the planets in March 2022<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""The\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The phase and relative sizes of the planets in March 2022. Each planet is shown with south at the top, to show its orientation through a telescope. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Venus<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n