Folha do Sul / Geral / March has planetary conjunctions and equinoxes

For March, a conjunction of planets and, of course, the autumnal equinox are expected. There are other interesting astronomical events that will happen during the month. However, most of them will not be visible in the Southern Hemisphere from Earth.

The approach of Mercury to the Moon will occur on March 6, but it will not be visible in this region of the planet. Already on the 17th, an occultation of Jupiter will occur, but again it will not be visible to those in the Southern Hemisphere.

However, those to the north will have the opportunity to observe an occultation, when the Moon passes in front of Jupiter, temporarily hiding it from our field of view. These astronomical events can be exciting and inspiring for those with an interest in astronomy and skywatching.

Jupiter and Venus
Jupiter and Venus, two of the brightest celestial bodies, are remarkably close to each other in the night sky. The best chance to witness this event was on the first day of the month. Today, however, the planets will still be visible in a westward direction, at an apparent distance of only half a degree between them.

Although the duo will begin to move away in the following days, they will still be observable relatively closely. As the nights pass, the apparent distance between the planets will increase, until Jupiter disappears below the horizon after the tenth day.

autumnal equinox
On March 20, 2023, at 6:25 PM (Brasilia time), the autumnal equinox will occur, marking the start of the season in the Southern Hemisphere and the end of summer. At the same time, in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be the beginning of spring, and both hemispheres will receive approximately the same amount of sunlight on this day.