MArzo he promises to be a month to score on the calendar for all astronomy fans. In fact, there will be several moments to raise your eyes to heaven, because The month will be a real festival of celestial eventsamong which two breathtaking eclipses stand out, unmissable planetary alignments and the awakening of nature with the spring equinox.
Before the equinox, the menterological spring comes (for now)
The curtain already got up on 1 March when The beginning of the meteorological spring startedor spring according to the climatic calendar used by meteorologists. This date differs from astronomical spring, which is based on the movement of the earth with respect to the sun and which, as we know, comes during the spring equinox. The meteorological spring begins on March 1st and ends on May 31stoffering a transition period in which temperatures gradually begin to rise and nature awakens.
The astronomical events of March
THE’March 8 the telescopes (or binocoli) towards Mercury must be focused onwhich will be in its moment of maximum visibility. But it does not end there: the following day, March 9th, Mercury and Venus will meet in a spectacular conjunction In the constellation of the fish, an unmissable appointment on twilight. But the highlight of the month will arrive on March 14th.
Two eclipses in March 2025: a total of the moon and a partial sun (Getty)
The total eclipse of the moon
On this date the total eclipse of the moon will be held and, even if from Italy, we will be able to admire only the initial phase of twilight, because the entry into the actual shadow will begin at 06:00 in the morning, with the moon already at sunset, The show will still be exciting. The eclipse will be visible in all its entirety in Europe, West Africa, North and South America. To observe the eclipse in Italy, it is advisable to find a place with a free view towards the western horizon, without obstacles such as buildings, trees or mountains. The beaches addressed to the west are ideal for this type of observation. But for those who cannot observe the live eclipseit will be possible to follow the event through online streaming on platforms such as Timeanda.
Equinox on March 20: spring arrives, the “real” one
On March 20 at 10:01 we will welcome to the spring equinoxwhich marks the transition from winter to astronomical spring. On this special day, The sun will find itself exactly above the Earth’s equatorgiving 24 hours divided perfectly between hours of light and darkness. This phenomenon occurs twice a year: once in spring with the March equinox, and once in the autumn, with the September equinox. After that, The days will continue to stretch, up to the summer solstice of 21 June. When instead they slowly resume to shorten.
Grand finale on March 29: partial eclipse of sun
In the last week of March, two still very fascinating events: on March 23, Saturn will align with the sun in a rare event that occurs only every 15 yearthe. The planet’s rings will seem to vanish into thin air, offering a unique celestial show. Grand finale, therefore, On March 29 with the partial eclipse of sunalso visible from Italy, especially in the North, where the sunbish will be obscured up to 15%. The eclipse will begin at 11:34, will reach the peak around noon and will end at 12:33. The regions of the South, such as Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and part of Puglia, will be less fortunate and will not be able to observe the eclipse in its entirety. Finally, the last days of March will be The opportunity to try their hand at the so -called Messier marathona super fascinating challenge for astronomy enthusiasts. The astrophils, in fact, will try to observe all 110 objects on the list drawn up by the French astronomer Charles Messier in 1781, between galaxies, nebulae and star clusters, in one night.
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