Planetary Conjunction Of Venus And Jupiter March 2012

March 20. March Equinox. The March equinox occurs at 05:14 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world.

It’s springtime, or just a few hours away from it officially, and if you look to your western sky right after dusk (the best viewing time is approximately around 10:00 PM EST), you’ll see Venus and Jupiter. Venus is on the top right and Jupiter is just below on the left, what is referred to as conjunction. This is astronomy in the northern hemisphere.

If you want to see something spectacular, be sure not to miss Venus and Jupiter in the west. They both look extremely large and magnificent. I’m not sure how long they’ll be hanging around so you better view them soon. Remember, just after dusk. (Observation inserted here: Both planets seemed to have vanished into the horizon later on in the night.)

For an added bonus, Pleaides is just above Venus, slightly to the left. Pleaides is a very prominent star cluster located in the constellation of Taurus. See if you can spot this gem!

If you look to the east, you can also see Mars and Saturn, although you might have to wait a few hours into the night to see the latter.

Orion is very visible and can be spotted in the southwestern region of the sky. Orion contains three stars that are placed horizontally; they are Orion’s belt.

Sky & Telescope magazine is considered to be one of the best in the astronomy field. Personally, I have not subscribed to this magazine, but it looks like a good one.

I do get on the Sky & Telescope website and it’s quite helpful if you’re a star gazer. Star gazing tips can always be found here.

Happy star gazing!

Image Credit:
Shankbone 4