The first days of march they have already left us two astronomical phenomena notable: the kiss or conjunction of Venus and Jupiter -visible since the end of February, but which had its peak on the 2nd- and the worm moonthe full moon of the deck, an event that was very visible on the 7th thanks to the clear skies that existed in almost the entire peninsula.
But there are still many other phenomena to see, apart from the lunar phases of every month:
From last day 25 and until the end of the month -until the 28th- you can enjoy a meteor shower that, although it will not be very abundant, it will be possible to see it with the naked eye. The Gamma Normids (γ-Normids) It will reach its maximum apogee in the northern hemisphere at dusk on the 14th and in the early morning of March 15. Of course, the maximum number of meteors will be about six an hour. The moon, which has been decreasing since it was full on the 7th, will allow us to see the rain as it loses light and size, despite the fact that on the 15th it will still be crescent quarter. This is a good time to observe the lunar surface with a telescope.
Neptune in lunar conjunction
That same day, the 15th, Neptune is in lunar conjunction, which means that it will be close to the Sun in the sky – it will pass one degree and ten minutes from the sun – and it will be difficult to observe. The lunar conjunction -or lunar kiss- with Neptune occurs when the moon and Neptune align in the night sky, that is, when they are very close to each other in the same direction in space. This can be visually appealing, especially if Neptune is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.
The galaxy M51, also known as the swirl galaxyIt is a spiral galaxy located about 23 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of venatici canes (hunting dogs or hunting dogs). It is characterized by having two spiral arms that surround a bright nucleus and a bridge-shaped structure that connects it with another nearby galaxy, NGC 5195. Galaxy M51 is observable throughout the year in the northern hemisphere, although its visibility depends on several factors. However, it is easiest to see in spring and summer, when it is high in the night sky. And this day 18 it will be well located soon to observe most of the night, in the direction of the constellation of Canes Venatici, towards the northeast part of the Celestial Sphere.
At the vernal equinox, the sun is directly over the equator and the length of day and night is the same everywhere on Earth. In the northern hemisphere, the spring equinox will take place on the 20th at 4:33 p.m. on the Spanish peninsula, according to the National Astronomical Observatory. At that time, in the southern hemisphere, autumn will be beginning.
Venus and Uranus conjunction
On the last day of the month, March 31, the conjunction between Venus and Uranus will occur. Uranus, the planet that smells like rotten eggs, is an outer planet and not easy to see with the naked eye, but its close proximity to Venus makes it a bit more visible. The conjunction of Venus and Uranus occurs when these two planets appear very close in the night sky from Earth’s perspective, so close that the conjunction between two planets is also known as beos. Because Venus and Uranus have different orbits and different speeds, these conjunctions don’t happen very often. In fact, the last conjunction of Venus and Uranus took place on March 3, 2021. During this event, Venus and Uranus appeared just 0.4 degrees apart in the night sky, which helped those observed of the sky to see both planets together in the same field of view. And the next conjunction of Venus and Uranus will occur on February 6, 2024, although it will not be as close as the conjunction of 2021.