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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the period between March 1 and March 31, 2026. Here are the events happening in the sky of southern California.
Mercury starts March close to the sun and is not safe to observe. On the 20th, the planet rises in the east at 5:58 a.m., PDT, and the sun rises at 6:57 a.m., PDT, 59 minutes later. Mercury is 22-percent illuminated and 9.9 arcseconds wide. On the 31st, Mercury rises in the east at 5:36 a.m., PDT, and the sun rises at 6:42 a.m., PDT, one hour six minutes later. Mercury is 44-percent illuminated and 8.1 arcseconds wide. Do not observe any planet when it appears close to the sun, for the danger to the eyes is great.
Venus sets in the west at 6:50 p.m., PST, on the 1st, and the sun sets at 5:50 p.m., PST, one hour earlier. Venus is 98-percent illuminated and 10 arcseconds wide. On the 31st, the sun sets at 7:13 p.m., PDT, and Venus sets in the west-northwest at 8:50 p.m., PDT, one hour 37 minutes later. The planet is 94-percent illuminated and 11 arcseconds wide. Do not observe any planet when it appears close to the sun, for the danger to the eyes is great.
Mars is close to the sun throughout March and not safe to observe.
Jupiter is in the constellation Gemini the Twins. On the 1st, Jupiter sets in the west-northwest at 3:32 a.m., PST. On the 31st, the planet sets in the west-northwest at 2:36 a.m., PDT. A telescope capable of magnification 50x will show the Red Spot, and the four bright Galilean moons can be seen moving back and forth, across and behind Jupiter.
Saturn is close to the sun throughout March and not safe to observe.
Uranus is in the constellation Taurus the Bull. On the 1st, Uranus sets in the west-northwest at 11:57 p.m., PST. On the 31st, the planet sets at 11:00 p.m., PDT. On the 15th, Uranus is at Right Ascension 3h 43m 36s with a declination of +19° 34ʹ 4ʺ. The disk of Uranus is only 3.5 arcseconds wide, and so a telescope with a magnification of 150x is needed.
Neptune is in the constellation Pisces the Fishes. On the 1st, Neptune sets in the west at 7:20 p.m., PST, one hour 30 minutes after the sun sets, with a disk 2.2 arcseconds wide. On the 7th, the sun sets at 5:55 p.m., PST, and Neptune sets at 6:58 p.m., PST, one hour three minutes after the sun sets. After the 7th, Neptune is close to the sun for the rest of March and not safe to observe. The position of Neptune on the 15th is Right Ascension 0h 7m 48s with a declination of
-0° 34ʹ 38ʺ.
The moon is full on the 3rd, last quarter on the 11th, new on the 18th, and first quarter on the 25th.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 8th, at 2:00 a.m., PST. All clocks must be set forward one hour, according to the saying, “Spring forward, fall back.”
Spring begins in the earth’s northern hemisphere (and autumn in the southern hemisphere) at 7:46 a.m., PDT, on March 20. At this precise moment, when the sun reaches the point where the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator, it moves from south to north. The point where and the time when the sun crosses the celestial equator to the north is the vernal equinox. Spring ends with the summer solstice on June 21.
A total lunar eclipse occurs on the 3rd. During this eclipse, the moon will be well within the umbra part of earth’s shadow, the inner darker portion of the shadow. The moon enters the outer part of earth’s shadow, called the penumbra, at 12:44 a.m., PST. The moon enters the umbra part of earth’s shadow at 1:50 a.m., PST, and is completely in the umbra at 3:04 a.m., PST. Mid-eclipse is at 3:34 a.m., PST. The moon starts to exit the umbra at 4:03 a.m., PST, and is completely out of the umbra at 5:17 a.m., PST. Griffith Observatory will hold a web broadcast, but the observatory and Griffith park will be closed to the public.
Griffith Observatory normally provides free public sky observing day and night–weather permitting–through a variety of telescopes. Currently, the Observatory is open Tuesday through Sunday. To plan a visit to the Observatory, please see our website (https://griffithobservatory.lacity.gov/) for the latest information. The Sky Report, also available on the website, provides monthly observing information.