Moon and star

2023 - 3 - 24

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Image courtesy of "Space.com"

Want to see Uranus? The crescent moon points the way tonight ... (Space.com)

On Friday, March 24, the moon will be closely separated from Uranus offering skywatchers an excellent guide to spotting the ice giant.

[best telescopes](https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html) and [best binoculars](https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html) are a great place to start. You can also see where astronauts, rovers and landers have ventured with our [Apollo landing sites observing guide](https://www.space.com/apollo-landing-sites-moon-observer-guide). Earth itself is four times larger than the moon, which has a diameter of 2,100 miles (3,500 km), which means Uranus is almost 15 times the size of the moon. With a diameter of 31,000 miles (50,000 km), Uranus is about four times the Uranus will rise at 08:48 EDT (1248 GMT), reaching its highest point over the horizon at around 15:50 EDT (1950 GMT) and setting at 22:51 EDT (0251 GMT). The moon will be in its waxing crescent phase as light creeps across its face signaling the transition from the fully dark [new moon](https://www.space.com/17561-new-moon-explained-lunar-phases.html) on Tuesday to the completely illuminated [full moon](https://www.space.com/16830-full-moon-calendar.html) on April 6, also known as the Full Pink Moon. The moon is just an average of 239,000 miles (384,400 kilometers) from [magnitude](https://www.space.com/21640-star-luminosity-and-magnitude.html) of 5.8 and should be visible with binoculars or a small telescope appearing as a blue-green dot. At their most widely separated there are 1.98 billion miles (3.2 billion km) between Earth and Uranus. If you're looking to snap photos of the night sky in general, check out our guide on [how to photograph the moon](https://www.space.com/how-to-photograph-the-moon-camera), as well as our [best cameras for astrophotography](https://www.space.com/best-cameras-for-astrophotography) and [best lenses for astrophotography](https://www.space.com/best-lenses-for-astrophotography). We recommend the Below the moon and Uranus will be the second planet from the sun, [Venus](https://www.space.com/44-venus-second-planet-from-the-sun-brightest-planet-in-solar-system.html).

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Image courtesy of "SkyandTelescope.com"

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 24 – April 2 (SkyandTelescope.com)

FRIDAY, MARCH 24. □ Venus shines below the waxing crescent Moon in the west during and after twilight this evening, as shown here.

Look for it high in the southwest in early evening, lower in the west later. From there look higher upper right for Pollux and Castor (lined up nearly horizontal), lower right from Castor to dim Beta Aurigae and then bright Capella, lower left from there to Aldebaran, lower left to Rigel at the bottom of Orion, and back to Sirius. The next up, once you know your way around, are the even larger [Interstellarum](http://www.deep-sky-atlas.com/dsa.asp%3Fcontent=start.html) atlas (stars to magnitude 9.5) or [Uranometria 2000.0](https://shopatsky.com/products/uranometria-2000-0-atlas-all-sky-edition-pole-to-pole-coverage?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=image&utm_campaign=wbupdate) (stars to magnitude 9.75). Jupiter is magnitude –2.0 and Mercury is not far behind: magnitude –1.5 on Friday March 24th, fading to –1.1 over the next seven days. Mercury and Jupiter are very low in the glow of sunset. See the article and finder charts in the These are the two brightest stars in the sky at the time. The Moon is about 6° from each. Mercury is 1.3° to the right of brighter Jupiter. They do the reverse water dump in the fall. Look for it fairly low in the north-northwest. Follow this line past the bowl's lip far across the sky, and you cruise to Capella.

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Image courtesy of "Santa Fe New Mexican"

Star Codes: March 24-30 (Santa Fe New Mexican)

The world's agenda and our own concerns begin to change themes, shift emphasis, and start a new chapter as Saturn, Mars, and Pluto change signs this month ...

Share for self-promotion or a new friendship or flirtation and explore a new sense of aesthetics as Venus conjuncts restless Uranus, but be considerate of old friends and connections. SUNDAY, MARCH 26: On this nervy, multitasking day, our inner introvert and extrovert can tug us in opposite directions and leave us stranded in the middle. The smell of earth and the feeling of muscles moving shift us out of frustration and into motion. They can bring out a defensive streak and leave us full of great advice but uninterested in hearing anyone’s great suggestions for our improvement. released a report on climate change calling for us all to work together to deflect the coming crisis. In the first few weeks after a planet changes signs, we often see a course correction and an example of the work we’ll need to do during its journey there.

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Image courtesy of "Astronomy Magazine"

The Sky This Week from March 24 to 31 (Astronomy Magazine)

Jupiter and Mercury meet just days before Venus and Uranus mingle, while Mars cozies up to M35 from March 24 to 31.

The Moon reaches apogee, the farthest point from Earth in its orbit, at 7:17 A.M. Uranus, still magnitude 5.9, will require binoculars or a scope to pick out, especially while the sky is still light but likely even after dark as well. Slow-moving Mars is still up near M35 in roughly the same position as a few days ago. (Though as usual, the earlier, the better.) The Moon doesn’t quite help, either, but at least it’s a few constellations away! That provides a short but usable dark-sky window, though the earlier you’re able to hunt them down, the better.

Explore the last week