Saturday, March 7: Venus and Saturn in a twilight conjunction (after dark)
In early January, Venus passed into the sun's glare as seen from Earth, marking its transition to the post-sunset sky to begin its long reign as the "Evening Star." Each evening has seen it rise just a little higher, while Saturn, above, slowly descends after being ever-present in the night sky for the last six months. Tonight, the two planets will pass each other closely, getting to within about a single degree (the width of your little finger at arm's length). Look due west about 45 minutes after sunset to see Venus and Saturn in a twilight conjunction. — Jamie Carter
Sunday, March 8: Venus and Saturn in a twilight conjunction (after dark)
Look due west about 45 minutes after sunset for another chance to see Venus and Saturn in conjunction. Last night, the two bodies were close to each other, with Saturn highest. Tonight, the positions are reversed, with Venus rising above Saturn to begin its reign as the "Evening Star." By March 25, Saturn will be in conjunction with the sun and will rise into the pre-dawn sky during April.
Thursday, March 5: Zodiacal light (after sunset)
Have you ever seen the solar system glow? If you can get yourself to a very dark place during the next two weeks (until the post-sunset moon becomes bright again), then you may spot what keen-eyed skywatchers call zodiacal light — sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust in the plane of the solar system, specifically in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It looks like a triangle of light above the sunset point in the west, about an hour after sunset. — Jamie Carter
Friday, March 6: A ‘morning Moon’ and Spica (before sunrise, after sunrise)
The 91%-illuminated waning gibbous moon will this morning shine a couple of degrees from the star Spica, the brightest in the constellation Virgo. Look to the southeast very late on Thursday, March 5, up until about an hour before sunrise on Friday, March 6, when Spica will vanish to leave an easily visible "morning moon" hanging above the southwestern horizon. — Jamie Carter
Wednesday, March 4: Winter constellations (after dark)
Tonight's 98% waning gibbous moon will rise in the east after sunset, hot on the heels of last night's total lunar eclipse. Tear your gaze away from its luminous disk and look towards the southwest. Here, the famous constellations of winter — Orion, Taurus, Auriga, Canis Minor and Canis Major and Gemini — are sliding slowly toward the western horizon, along with the "guest star" Jupiter. Take a last lingering look at the bright winter stars. By next month, they'll be relegated to the early evening sky, as spring's constellations take over. — Jamie Carter
Monday, March 2: A pre-eclipse moon and Regulus (after dark)
Now 99.8%-illuminated, the waxing gibbous moon is mere hours from being full, around which time it will slip into the deepest part of Earth's shadow, triggering a spectacular total lunar eclipse. As dark sets in after sunset, you'll notice not only that the brightness of the moon increases, but also that a star will brighten above it. That's Regulus, which it passed close to yesterday, while the bright planet Jupiter will also be visible glowing high above in the southeast among the stars of Gemini. It's a perfect rehearsal for tomorrow morning's total lunar eclipse. — Jamie Carter
Tuesday, March 3: A total lunar eclipse (before dawn)
In the early hours before dawn, a total lunar eclipse will turn the full "Worm Moon" into a "blood moon." Europe won't see anything of the event, while only the western half of North America (as well as the Pacific region, Australia, New Zealand and east Asia) will see the entire 5 hours, 38 minutes-long event between 08:44 and 14:22 UTC. The highlight will be a spectacular 58-minute-long totality from 11:04 to 12:02 UTC. That translates to the following local times in North America:
Eastern time: 6:04-7:02 a.m. EST on March 3, 2026 (the moon will set during totality in the Eastern time zone)
Central time: 5:04-6:02 a.m. CST on March 3, 2026
Mountain time: 4:04-5:02 a.m. MST on March 3, 2026
Pacific time: 3:04-4:02 a.m PST on March 3, 2026
Alaska time: 2:04-3:02 a.m. AKST on March 3, 2026
Hawaii time: 1:04-2:02 a.m. HST on March 3, 2026
The moon will be high in the southwest during totality, while farther east it hangs low in the west. No eye protection is needed — just a clear sky, warm clothes and patience as one of skywatching's most glorious events occurs for the last time over North America until June 25, 2029. — Jamie Carter
Stay up to date with the latest eclipse news and images with our total lunar eclipse live blog and discover how to watch the March 3 blood moon eclipse online, for free with these handy livestreams.
Night sky for tonight and the weekend
Friday, Feb. 27: A tail of lights (after dark)
Now 87%-illuminated, the waxing gibbous moon will tonight form a bright trio with Castor and Pollux in Gemini. Together with bright Jupiter nearby, they'll form a pattern of stars akin to the tail of Scorpius, the Scorpion, a summer constellation currently visible just before dawn. As you look at Pollux and Castor, consider what different stars they are to our sun; Pollux is one star with a planet, called Thestias, in orbit, while Castor is actually three large stars all orbiting each other, with each a binary, making it a bizarre six-star system. — Jamie Carter
Saturday, Feb. 28: A final 'planet parade' (after dark)
Look west just after sunset for a trio of planets that's on the verge of breaking up. The most obvious by now will be Venus, blazing away at magnitude -3.9 as it climbs higher to dominate much of 2026's post-sunset night sky. To its right will be Mercury, shining at magnitude 1.95 — 200 times dimmer than Venus and now slinking back into the sun's glare. Above, both will be Saturn, at magnitude 1, about 90 times dimmer than Venus, and also heading for the sun's glare. — Jamie Carter
Sunday, Mar. 1: A pre-eclipse moon and Regulus (after dark)
Tonight, the moon is almost full and poised for a significant event. Easily visible in the hour before sunset, the 97%-illuminated orb will get brighter as twilight gets hold, just as Regulus, Leo's brightest star, emerges below it. From North America this evening, the moon will get closer to Regulus as the night wears on. It's a perfect time to familiarize yourself with the scene — and get yourself a good observing position — because in just a couple of nights, in the early hours of Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026 (3:44 to 9:22 a.m. EST), the same moon will turn coppery-red during a dramatic total lunar eclipse as the Worm Moon slides through Earth's shadow. — Jamie Carter
Stay up to date with the latest blood moon action with our total lunar eclipse live blog.
Thursday, Feb. 26: A celestial rectangle (after dark)
This evening, Gemini hosts a slow-motion rendezvous. After dark, look high in the southeast to find Jupiter shining brightly in Gemini, with the 72%-illuminated waxing gibbous moon just above. Close by will be Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars — and "twins" — in Gemini, together forming a loose rectangle shape. Blue-white Castor and yellow-ish Pollux are 51 and 34 light-years from the sun, respectively, making them close neighbours. — Jamie Carter
Wednesday, Feb. 25: Moon in the bull’s horns (after dark)
The waxing gibbous moon travels through the constellation Taurus, the bull, high in the southern sky tonight, posing between the bright stars Elnath (translation: "the butting one") and Zeta Tauri, which mark the tips of the horns of the celestial animal.
It will be roughly halfway between bright planet Jupiter, still blazing away at magnitude -2.4, and the Pleiades star cluster (M45). Look below the line from the Pleiades to the moon for the red star Aldebaran, the eye of the bull, itself set against a loose "V" shape of stars called the Hyades, one of the closest star clusters to the solar system at just 151 light-years. For comparison, the Pleiades is 444 light-years distant. — Jamie Carter
Tuesday, Feb. 24: First-quarter perigee moon (after dark)
The moon reaches its first quarter at 2:28 a.m. EST (0728 GMT) today and by evening it stands high in the southern sky, with its right side fully lit by the sun. Along the terminator — the dividing line between lunar day and night — sunlight casts long shadows from crater rims and mountain ranges, giving the moon's edge a ragged look. Later in the day, the moon also passes perigee, its closest point to Earth this month. That makes it a slightly larger and brighter first-quarter moon than it is typical. — Jamie Carter
Monday, Feb. 23: Moon visits the Pleiades (after dark)
This evening, the nearly first-quarter moon pays a close visit to the Pleiades star cluster (also called M45) in Taurus.
As darkness falls, look high in the south. You'll see the bright half-lit moon with a small, hazy patch of light nearby — that's the Pleiades. As it gets dark in North America, there will be barely more than a degree apart — the width of a thumb held outstretched against the night sky. The moon's glare will wash out the fainter stars, but the main "mini-dipper" pattern of the Pleiades should still be visible. — Jamie Carter
