A three-way tug-of-war is playing out in the constellation Leo, which is in the east at nightfall. Three galaxies there are tugging at one another, producing spectacular results. The galaxies are M65, M66, and NGC 3628, known as the Leo Triplet.
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 15: Leo Triplet
March 16: Zodiacal Light
From dark skywatching locations, a faint pyramid of light glows faintly in the west after nightfall the next few evenings. This dim glow is the zodiacal light, which is sunlight reflecting off of tiny grains of dust scattered around the inner solar system.
March 17: Virgo Cluster
The Virgo Cluster is a group of more than 1,500 galaxies about 55 million light-years away. It is centered near the border between Virgo and Leo, a spot that's low in the east at nightfall and climbs higher later on. Many of the galaxies are easy targets for small telescopes.
March 18: Messier 87
The heart of the galaxy Messier 87 features a monster black hole encircled by swirling hot gas. Powerful magnetic fields fire some of the gas outward as deadly radiation beams. M87 is low in the east by mid-evening, below Denebola, the tail of the lion.
March 19: Vernal Equinox
Spring arrives in the northern hemisphere tomorrow, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator from south to north, marking the vernal equinox. Over the next three months, the Sun will travel farther northward, bringing longer days north of the equator.
March 20: Moon and Venus
The crescent Moon and the planet Venus team up in the evening twilight tonight. Venus is the brilliant Evening Star. It is below the Moon, and it sets by the time the sky gets fully dark.
March 21: Spring Triangle
Three bright stars form a tall, skinny triangle in the east by 10 or 11 p.m. The brightest is yellow-orange Arcturus, the third-brightest star in the night sky. Spica is far to the right of Arcturus, with Regulus high above and to the right of Spica.