The Moon will again appear to be very close to the star Regulus March 2nd, closer and closer going west, with an occultation in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, etc. They will be close together again the evening of March 29th.
[World Wildlife Day was March 3rd.]
There will be a total lunar eclipse the morning of March 3rd (visible from North and South America, the Pacific, and East Asia). Woodcock activity and the Moon? North Carolina might miss the finish? The next total lunar eclipse visible from the Americas after this will be June 26, 2029 (?).
There will be a conjunction of Venus and Saturn the evening of March 7th. Saturn will soon be hidden by the Sun for about two months.
DST will return March 8th (in the USA).
The Moon will be near and under the bright, reddish star Antares, in Scorpius, the morning of March 8th.
[International Quds Day ("Jerusalem Day;" روز جهانی قدس or Ruz Jahâni Quds in Persian), marked on the last Friday during Ramadan, is March 13th in 2026: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quds_Day ]
The Moon will occult the star tau Sagittarii again (see above) on the morning of March 13th (seen from the eastern US and Canada, Cuba, etc.), it will occult the star delta Capricorni or Deneb Algedi March 16th, and the Moon will occult the star kappa Geminorum (by the bright star Pollux and Jupiter was next to it in January, if not in March: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_Geminorum ) March 26-27th, seen from the US and throughout Canada and the Caribbean: is.gd/occultations The Moon will be close to the star beta Tauri or El Nath March 24th. It will be an occultation from the eastern Caribbean and northern South America (in beleaguered Venezuela?).
Jupiter will be furthest north in the sky on March 13th.
Ramadan is February 18th-March 19th this year: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
Northern Hemisphere's spring equinox will be March 20th (at 10:46am EDT) this year. The traditional Aries period begins around March 21st (March 20th in 2026??). R.H. Allen on the constellation Aries: penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Aries*.html
[Nowruz, the start of spring and a new year the in Iran's very accurate Solar Hijri calendar, begins on the spring equinox. Nowruz began with Iranic peoples, but it is a religious holiday in Zoroastrianism, Baháʼísm, and Ismaʿili Shia Islam, and is marked by some or many communities in Afghanistan, China (Xinjiang), and throughout Central Asia, in Kurdistan, Albania (on March 22nd?), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sweden, the USA, the UN, etc. In Iran Chaharshanbe Suri (Persian: چهارشنبهسوری ; čahâr-šanbeh suri; "Festive Wednesday") will be celebrated March 18th (today) in 2026 (Eldfesten is held every year in Stockholm for Chaharshanbe Suri?). Sizdah Bedar (سیزدهبدر; "outdoor 13th" or Nature Day روز طبیعت ?) marks the end of the 13-day holiday in Iran. s en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Hijri_calendar (note Tajikistan), and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_peoples ]
[Apparently redbud trees (Cercis) are a traditional part of the celebration in Kabul; a native pink redbud (C. canadensis) began blooming on the edge of woods across the street here by March 17th. Baháʼísm is a well established religion here and there are many people of South or West Asian descent in the Triangle.]
[Eid al-Fitr began March 20th this year? – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Fitr and www.rt.com/russia/635624-eid-festival-moscow-mosque/ ]
[Also on or near the equinox: Ostara, Japan's Shunbun no Hi ( 春分の日 ) or Vernal Equinox Day; International Astrology Day; World Storytelling Day; World Citizen Day; the Burning of the Socks in the harbor of Annapolis, Maryland; etc.; Albania's Dita e Verës / Verëza is March 14th; Egypt's Sham el-Nessim is on Coptic Orthodox Easter Monday; Mother's Day is apparently often on the equinox in the Arab world; Latvia's Lieldienas is around Easter; the Feast of the Annunciation is near the equinox; Roman Hilaria, Norse Dísablót, and the Slavic drowning of Marzanna were on or around the equinox; people observe the equinox in Cahokia, Teotihuacán, Chichen Itza, Angkor Wat, Loughcrew, etc.? – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_equinox ]
[I had hoped to post in late March about some cherry blossom festivals and other seasonal events, but maybe in April and next year.]
The 2026 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC will be March 20th to April 12th: nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
The asteroid 20 Massalia will reach opposition March 21st (at 11am EDT). It was discovered, observing from Naples, September 19, 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis (November 9, 1819 in Bugnara, Abruzzo, in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies – March 21, 1892 in Naples, Campania, Kingdom of Italy) and its name refers to Marseille, France, where astronomer Jean Chacornac (June 21, 1823 in Lyon – September 6, 1873 in Saint-Jean-en-Royans) observed it September 20th. Massalia was the first asteroid or minor planet not given a name from myth and not given an "iconic symbol," as in the 'male' symbol for Mars, the 'female' symbol for Venus, etc.? Water in some form was apparently discovered on 7 Iris (see above) and Massalia in February 2026. De Gasparis discovered asteroid 16 Psyche March 17, 1852 and others. – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Massalia , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annibale_de_Gasparis , and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Chacornac
[World Water Day is every March 22nd: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Water_Day World Wetlands Day is every February 2nd, commemorating the UN Ramsar Convention, established in Ramsar, Iran on that day in 1971: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wetlands_Day ]
[Durham Creek Week 2027 will be March 13th-21st.]
[DST returned March 29th in the UK?]
[April is Astronomy Month; the spring Astronomy Day is April 25th and there is a fall Astronomy Day (?): is.gd/GlobalAstronomyMonth and astronomyday.astroleague.org ]
[April is also Earth Month, with Earth Day on April 22nd.]
]April 1st-30th: ncsciencefestival.org Including a Statewide Star Party again this year?
From Harris Lake County Park and the American Tobacco Trail:
Join us for the Statewide Star Party on the ATT, a signature event of the NC Science Festival!
Friday, April 24; 6-9:30 p.m.
White Oak parking area (1305 White Oak Church Rd., Apex)
(Rain/cloud date: Saturday, April 25; 6-9:30 pm)
This year marks the 14th annual Statewide Star Party and the theme is "Mission to the Moon"! Take part in fun, hands-on activities from 6-8:15 p.m., including solar system walks (two times will be available), interactive educational activities, crafts, face painting, and games (cornhole and giant Connect 4) early in the evening. As the sun goes down, enjoy constellation storytelling around the campfire with Go Camp! LLC, and observe the night sky through telescopes as experts from the Raleigh Astronomy Club take you on a celestial tour, including the Moon, Venus, and the Pleiades star cluster!
This free event is hosted by Wake County’s American Tobacco Trail staff partnering with the Raleigh Astronomy Club, Go Camp! LLC, Kona Ice of Western Wake, and Green Level High School's Astronomy Club and Science National Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society, with generous volunteer assistance from Green Hope High School. Enjoy a sweet treat or hot beverage (coffee or cocoa) from Kona Ice while you listen to storytelling around the campfire.
All ages and skill levels are welcome. Bring your curiosity, water bottle, chair and/or blanket, and a picnic dinner to enjoy beforehand if you wish. This event will take place on the field at the White Oak parking area under the stars.
*We will make a weather decision on April 22 regarding the event date (whether it will be held on April 24 or 25) and post on the
The Statewide Star Party is made possible with the support of
NC Space Grant and the NC Science Festival.
FREE! Registration is not required!
This is an excellent opportunity for Junior Park Explorer credit! ]
There will be an apparition of the planet Mercury March 27th, but it won't be very high up; greatest elongation will be April 3rd.
The Moon will be near the relatively bright star Spica in Virgo the evening of April 2nd and again on April 29th, after a sidereal month of 27.3 days.
The Moon will occlude the triple star pi Scorpii or Fang early April 6th from the Eastern US, Central America, and northern South America, but at the northern end only the re-emergence of the three the triple stars (one by one? 50" and 0.0003"of separation is too close to see??) will be visible. From Savannah, Georgia the occultation will be begin at 12:06am EST and end at 1:05am. See the programs Stellarium.org , SkySafariAstronomy.com , or lunar-occultations.com/iota/occult4.htm ?
[International Dark Sky Week is April 13-20th in 2026: idsw.darksky.org ]
The waning crescent Moon (a mere 6 degrees high and higher than the other objects), Mercury, and Mars might be visible the morning of April 15th, while Saturn and Neptune will definitely be invisible?
A waxing crescent Moon and the planet Venus will appear to be close together the evening of April 18th. The Moon can be a marker to find very bright Venus even during daytime.
Comet PanSTARRS (C/2025 R3) was discovered September 8, 20252 from Hawaii and will reach perihelion and be hidden by the Sun April 19th, but it could brighten to magnitude 7 before then. It will be going east (did they mean to say west??) through the south center side of Pegasus (or the Great Square of Pegasus) before (well before?) dawn by late March.
[The eta Aquariid meteor shower is visible around April 19th-May 28th, and peaks in early May; the Lyrids fall April 14-30th: www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ ]
The Lyrid meteor shower will peak around 4am on April 22nd, but will be visible before and after that date. See amsmeteors.org for dates.
The Moon will be near Jupiter in Gemini in the evening on April 22nd and Jupiter will appear to be close to the star Wasat (see above) on the 30th, not to be repeated before 2037.
Venus will appear to be close to the Pleiades and Uranus the evening of April 23rd.
The Moon will be close to the Beehive, Manger, or Praesepe star cluster (M44) early on April 24th and from the West Coast and Alaska (the best view will be west and north) it will be an occultation. From San Francisco the occultation will begin around 2am and end around 2:30am. rly l
[Added April 4th; see also the 2026 NC Science Festival, April 1st-30th – ]
The Moon will appear to be close to the relatively bright star Regulus in Leo the evening of April 25th from the Western US, much of México, etc. It will be an occultation from the Caribbean, the Eastern US, Central America, and northeastern South America (in Venezuela?). From Miami, Florida the occultation will begin around 8:34pm and end around 9:59pm. See is.gd/RegulusApril2026 for the timings in 660 places.
– From recent issues of Sky and Telescope and Astronomy magazines and see: planetary.org/night-sky I don't really know the Winter Hexagon asterism, though it is bright, but there is a chart on page 22 of the February issue Sky and Telescope. The relatively bright Summer Triangle is up in the east near dawn now. Looking through R.H. Allen's (early spring?) 1899 book Star Names recently I found out that there is or was a Diamond of Virgo asterism (composed of Spica, Arcturus in Bootes, Denebola in Leo, and Cor Caroli in the relatively dim northern polar constellation Canes Venatici).
NPR often hypes so-called "supermoons,"
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