Jupiter And Company To Provide Skywatchers With Stunning Astronomical Shows This March

Sumit Passary, Tech Times 03 March 2015, 01:03 am

Mars and Venus gave quite a show in the month of February this year. In March, Jupiter and some other celestial objects will provide a stunning sky gazing experience to watchers.

Jupiter, the biggest planet of our solar system, which is the fifth planet from the sun, was then directly opposite the sun. This event is also referred to as Jupiter at opposition and occurs once every 13 months. The 2015 Jupiter at opposition is the closest until 2019. The next Jupiter at opposition will be on Mar. 8, 2016.

On many February evenings, Jupiter was visible in the sky. Jupiter is not as bright as Venus but still visible to the naked eye. A medium telescope also enabled viewers to catch a glimpse of the planet's moon and band of clouds that surrounds the planet. On Feb. 6, the planet shone brightest. In March, it will not be as bright as it was during the opposition.

Jupiter will be seen as a bright object at nightfall and will be visible throughout the night. When evening falls, sky gazers can watch Venus in the west and Jupiter in the east of the sky. Jupiter is the second-brightest planet visible in the sky just after Venus.

Sky gazers will be able to watch the planet close to the moon from Mar. 1 through to Mar. 3. A decent pair of binoculars or a medium telescope can also be used to see the four moons of Jupiter: Callisto, Europa, Ganymede and Io, which are all named after Galileo, who discovered them in 1610.

Saturn will also rise in the southeast around an hour just after midnight during early March. The planet will also be available one hour before midnight during the latter part of the month.

"Watch for the waning moon to shine within the vicinity of Saturn for a few days, centered on Mar. 12," stated EarthSky.

Sky gazers will not be able to see the gorgeous rings of the planet with a pair of binoculars. However, the rings of the planet will be visible with the help of a small telescope.

People who want to see the planets in the dark sky will have to hope that the sky is free from clouds to get the best viewing experience.