Today:
Looking directly below Venus on the next clear evening, try to find as low and level a view to the west as possible. Bright but low appears the swift, elusive planet Mercury. The Sun’s nearest planet will climb higher through the 8th, when it makes its best evening appearance of 2025, while Venus edges lower, making the display that much more delightful for star gazers.
Tuesday:
Early March offers good views of the planet Jupiter, and yet you can see a pronounced change. Jupiter starts the evening high in the south-southwest near 6:30 PM, and will set after midnight, at around 1:30 AM. It loses height each evening through the next two months, lost in the Sun’s glare by June.
Wednesday:
Looking west early this evening, the Moon appears almost half-full, just one day shy of its First Quarter. This larger, brighter view of our silvery neighbor makes it challenging to see the faint cluster of stars just below it. Patience, and perhaps a spotting scope or binoculars should reveal the tight collection of stars called the Seven Sisters, or the Pleiades, just below our celestial neighbor.