Jupiter stands near the Moon tonight. The solar system's largest planet looks like a brilliant star, so you can't miss it. The twin stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, are close by, standing almost directly overhead.
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 25: Moon and Jupiter
March 26: Moon and Gemini
Pollux, the brightest star of Gemini, is quite close to the Moon tonight. Its "twin star," Castor, and the brilliant planet Jupiter are a little farther from the Moon. Pollux is much bigger and brighter than the Sun. It's also cooler, so it looks orange.
March 27: Circumbinary Planet
Astronomers recently found a world that may be similar to Tatooine, the home of Luke Skywalker. Known as Bebop 3b, it orbits both stars in a binary system, giving it double sunsets. The system is high overhead at nightfall, but too faint to see without a telescope.
March 28: Hercules Rising
Hercules climbs into prominence during spring. Most of its stars clear the northeastern horizon by about 11 p.m. Look for a pattern of four moderately bright stars that looks like a shield. This pattern, the Keystone, represents the strongman's body.
March 29: Moon and Regulus
The star Regulus leads the Moon across the sky tonight. The bright heart of the lion is close to the upper right of the Moon at nightfall, with the gap increasing as the hours roll by.
March 30: Algieba
One of the most beautiful double stars is Algieba, in Leo, the lion, a constellation that is prominent during spring. Seen through a telescope, both of Algieba's stars shine golden yellow.
March 31: Shining Through
For skywatchers, tonight is a time for old friends. There's an almost-full Moon, so its glare overpowers most of the stars. But the brightest, most-familiar stars shine through. That includes the stars of the Big Dipper, which are in the northeast at nightfall.