March: Get set for the phenomenon of the century

This year, March is the perfect time to start preparing for the astronomical event of the century in southern Quebec: The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

Come join us at the base of the Biosphère at Parc Jean-Drapeau, where we’ll be waiting with plenty of activities to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime experience, when the Moon will completely block out the Sun in what’s promising to be the most beautiful and moving of sights.

A solar eclipse always takes place about 15 days—half a lunation—before or after a lunar eclipse. This year’s big event is paired with a penumbral lunar eclipse that will occur on the night of March 24-25 and be fully visible from North and South America. The eclipse will begin at 12:53 a.m. (EDT), peak at 3:13 a.m. and end at 5:32 a.m. But it will be unremarkable, except for a subtle darkening along the bottom part of the Moon which will be visible around the maximum. A lunar eclipse can only happen when the Moon is full, this one occurring at precisely 3:00 a.m. that night. The discrepancy of a few minutes with the eclipse’s maximum is explained by the geometry of the phenomenon and the Moon’s trajectory with respect to Earth’s shadow.

In the evening sky

As for the planets, Mercury will enchant us with its brief visit. In fact, the closest planet to the Sun makes an excellent appearance in the evening sky from March 8 to early April. The conditions for spotting Mercury will be ideal around mid-March, as it will be close to its greatest elongation (18.7 degrees east of the Sun on March 24) and bright enough to be easily spotted above the western horizon, 45 minutes after sunset. However, Mercury will grow dimmer with each passing day throughout this apparition and will become too faint to be easily visible to the naked eye after April 1.

The very brilliant Jupiter continues to dominate the sky at nightfall, from sunset to about 10 p.m., even though it’s receding from Earth in its orbit and slightly decreasing in apparent size and luminosity. On the evening of March 13, the crescent Moon lies less than 3 degrees to the right of the giant planet; the two celestial bodies form a striking pair above the western horizon.

The magnificent constellation Orion, with its nebulae and harness, will also accompany you for most of the night since it follows Jupiter and sets one hour later. The Great Orion Nebula (Messier 42) is a playground for astrophotographers and amateur astronomers alike. Easily visible as a faint patch of light with the unaided eye or binoculars, the Nebula is a true thing of beauty where new stars are born before our very eyes.

Seasonal milestones

On the ephemeris front, we once again have to accept that on the night of Saturday, March 9 to Sunday, March 10, we will get one less hour of sleep (or skywatching). At exactly 2 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), watches and clocks move forward one hour, instantly becoming 3 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The Moon, which seems to be in sync with all the right astronomical moves these days, will be in its new phase on March 10 at precisely 5 a.m., two hours after EDT begins.

And let’s not forget that Easter and the traditions surrounding it (think bunnies, eggs and chocolate) will take place on March 31 this year. This is the most common date for Easter between the years 1900 and 2199. (Read our blog for more details on the annual variation of Easter dates.)

As if the time change wasn’t enough, this year’s spring equinox takes place on March 19 at 11:06 p.m. EDT. The equilux occurs three days earlier, on March 16, when sunrise and sunset are exactly 12 hours apart.

Clear skies!