Watch the Skies: March Stargazing Tips from NASA

 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

In this week’s newsletter, discover tips and tricks for viewing the night sky, contribute to NASA research during April’s total solar eclipse, and learn how to become a NASA astronaut. Plus, stories you might have missed.

Watch the Skies What's up for March? Some close pair-ups with the Moon, Mercury makes an appearance, and a chance to catch a comet! On March 13, the Moon joins Jupiter in the west, following sunset. They make a great pairing through binoculars. On the following night, the crescent moon moves through the Pleiades star cluster, creating a dazzling sight for skywatchers. Northern Hemisphere viewers have their best chance of the year to spot Mercury in the evening sky on March 21–25. Look for it shining brightly low in the west, starting shortly after sunset. And throughout the month, comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is heading toward its closest approach to the Sun on its 71-year orbit and is bright enough to observe with telescopes and binoculars. There's a possibility it might become just visible to the unaided eye by late March. MARCH SKY NOTES

Citizen Science On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. Participants both in and outside the eclipse path can join NASA to learn more about our Sun and Earth and the effects of a total solar eclipse. Projects are available for participants of any skill level. EXPLORE PROJECTS

A Luminous Galaxy Looking deeply into space and time, two teams using the James Webb Space Telescope have studied the exceptionally luminous galaxy GN-z11. Initially detected with the Hubble Space Telescope, this galaxy is so bright that it is challenging scientists to understand why.  READ MORE

Send Your Name NASA's Artemis lunar rover, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, will explore the relatively nearby but extreme environment of the Moon in search of ice and other potential resources. Send your name on a journey to the moon aboard VIPER!  ENTER YOUR NAME

NASA Interactive NASA’s first TTRPG (tabletop role-playing game), The Lost Universe, invites you to take on a classic villain as you overcome challenges and embark on an exciting quest to unlock knowledge about our universe.  BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURE

Become a NASA Astronaut

We’re recruiting the next class of NASA astronauts. Selected candidates could fly on Artemis missions to the Moon and, eventually, Mars. Will you be one of them? Applications are open through April 2.

NASA astronauts have been traveling to space for more than six decades and have lived there continuously since 2000. Now, NASA’s Artemis program is preparing to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon. The Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket will carry humans farther into space than they have gone before.

APPLICATION DETAILS