Mars, Saturn, and Venus - together with the moon and the bright star Antares - will shortly create a trio in the night sky just before daybreak, blessing the night sky.
If you don't believe you'll be able to see this astronomical phenomenon before sunrise, don't worry: it will continue to happen until the end of March! Here are some things to bear in mind.
TOPSHOT - Planets Jupiter (L) and Saturn are seen during the great conjunction from the Griffith Observatory on the same day as the winter solstice, December 21, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. - The great conjunction refers to the astronomical alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, the closest for nearly 400 years.
Saturn, Venus, Mars Conjunction
The quarter moon will shine brightly above the red star known as the "rival of Mars" because of its resemblance to the Red Planet. Antares is the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius (the Scorpion), and it's significant to astronomers since it's a red giant near the end of its life.
Space.com said Venus shines strongly in white at -4.7 magnitude in the southeast before sunrise, making it easy to spot. Mars, the Red Planet, will be just below it, growing closer to magnitude 1 as the month progresses. In a dark sky, most persons with normal eyesight can see stars as faint as magnitude 6.
Skygazers might be able to view Saturn's rings, too. Saturn will be dull at 0.7 magnitudes or thereabouts, but it should be visible with the naked eye, provided you know where to look in the east-southeast sky.
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Because the moon, Earth, and planets all circle along the same plane in our solar system, known as the ecliptic, planetary alignments like this are rather common. Even if the sky is cloudy for this event, you'll be able to view Venus, Mars, and Saturn in a celestial triangle before dawn on March 27 and 28.
Auto Evolution said the planets would be visible in the sky's south-eastern quadrant, so make sure you're not in a region where light pollution is a problem. Bring a decent pair of binoculars or a small telescope to this once-in-a-lifetime event.
As NASA's Solar System Exploration puts it, the optimum time to view how our neighbors from space look is before March 27 or 28. The moon will be visible in the night sky, and its bright reflection of the Sun may distort what you can see.
Other Sky Events For March 2022
Meanwhile, another Space.com report said the three planets were confined within a circle 12 degrees broad as Mars, Venus, and Saturn come closer together. According to Skyatnightmagazine.com, this space will shrink to barely six degrees by March 31, when the three planets pack in close together.
At the end of the month, the crescent moon will join the trio, appearing near the planets on March 27 and 28. Meanwhile, as Saturn and Mars prepare for a super-close encounter in early April, Venus will begin to fade from view.
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