The Moon tonight stalks Regulus, the heart of Leo. And seen from Hawaii, it will catch the star, passing in front of it and blocking it from view. As seen from the rest of the U.S., Regulus and the Moon will be separated by just a whisker as they set, around dawn.
Weekly Stargazing Tips
Provided by StarDate.org. Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
March 1: Moon and Regulus
March 2: Lunar Eclipse
The Moon and Sun will stage a total lunar eclipse in the wee hours of tomorrow morning, as the Moon passes through Earth's long shadow. All or most of the eclipse will be visible across most of the United States.
March 3: Venus and Saturn
Two planets are crossing paths quite low in the west as twilight fades. The brighter one is Venus, which is beginning its reign as the Evening Star. Saturn is close to the upper left of Venus tonight, but just one percent as bright. They will stand closest on Saturday.
March 4: Little Dipper
To find the Little Dipper, first find the Big Dipper, which is in the northeast around 9 p.m. The stars at the outer edge of its bowl point toward Polaris, at the tip of the Little Dipper's handle. The dipper stretches to the lower right of Polaris.
March 5: Ancient Visitor
Spica, the leading light of the constellation Virgo, is close to the lower left of the Moon as they climb into view late this evening. They will move closer together during the night. The bright star will stand above the Moon as they rise tomorrow night.
March 6: Arcturus
Arcturus, the brightest star in Bootes, the herdsman, shows itself low in the east by about 9:30 or 10 p.m. It's the brightest star on the eastern side of the sky. It stands at the point of a faint pattern of stars that looks like an ice cream cone.
March 7: Argo Navis
The tale of Jason and the Argonauts is one of the biggest in Greek mythology. Their boat, Argo, was placed in the stars as Argo Navis. It was so huge that astronomers split it into three constellations: Carina, the keel; Vela, the sail; and Puppis, the poop deck.