MOSCOW, March 12 A rather rare celestial phenomenon — the presence of several planets visible to the naked eye at once — can be observed in March, she said on International Planetarium Day Scientific Director of the Moscow Planetarium Faina Rubleva.
International Day of Planetaria is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of March. In 2023, it falls on March 12.
«Venus will shine over the western horizon in the evenings. It can be observed in clear weather, including how the Moon and Venus will pass next to each other on March 24. Also in the evening and at night in the constellations of Taurus and Gemini, Mars will be visible high enough above the horizon, but it is not so bright compared to Venus. Not every month you can see several planets at once,» Rubleva said.
She added that Jupiter would be visible on the western horizon in the evenings, but would be visible for a short time. Uranus and Neptune will also be above the horizon, but they cannot be seen without a telescope.
At the same time, the scientific director of the planetarium specified that a particularly interesting phenomenon — the approach of Venus, the Moon and Jupiter, when several luminous balls could be observed in the sky — had already passed in early March.
Another important astronomical event she called the day of the vernal equinox on March 21, when the Sun will cross the line of the celestial equator and move from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern. At this moment, astronomical spring will come on that half of the planet where Russia is located.
“The spring constellations will rise higher and higher above the horizon, and they can be observed, first of all, these are the circumpolar constellations — Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The winter constellation Orion with bright stars and the star Sirius from the constellation Canis Major can still be observed, but they will be hidden beyond the horizon. Among the non-setting ones, the constellation of Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Perseus in the northwest will be visible, ”said Rubleva.
A little later, already in April, a hybrid solar eclipse will occur, which will combine the phases of the annular and total eclipses. The Russians, unfortunately, will not see it, the eclipse can be observed from Australia and Indonesia, said the scientific director of the planetarium.
On May 5, a penumbral eclipse of the Moon will take place, which will be partially observed from the territory of the Russian Federation. In addition, the Lyrid meteor shower is expected to be active in April.