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[Engergetic music]

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[Preston Dyches]
What's Up for March

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A good time to catch Mercury,

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an eclipse approaches,

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and the dark side of the Moon.

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March begins with Venus
still hanging out low

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in the west after sunset, but
it quickly drops out of the sky.

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By mid-month, it's getting lost
in the glare of sunset.

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Once it gets dark, you'll find
Jupiter and Mars high overhead,

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keeping you company
through the evening.

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Mars sets a couple of hours
after midnight this month,

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leaving the morning sky

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“planet free” for the
first time in a year.

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March also has the
best opportunity

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this year for trying to spot
fast-moving Mercury.

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If you're in the
Northern Hemisphere.

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It's only visible

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for a few weeks at a time
every 3 to 4 months.

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This is because the
speedy planet 

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orbits the sun
in just 88 days,

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so it quickly shifts its
position in the sky

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from day to day.

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It's always visible either

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just after sunset
or just before sunrise.

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On March 7th through 9th,

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look for Mercury beginning
about 30 minutes after sunset

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in the west, about ten degrees
above the horizon.

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You'll want to ensure your view
isn't blocked by trees,

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buildings,
or other obstructions.

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Observing from a
large open field

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or the shore of a lake
or the seaside can be helpful.

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Spying Mercury
isn't always easy,

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but catching
the fleet-footed planet

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is a worthy
goal for any skywatcher.

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There's a total lunar eclipse 

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on the way this month
visible across the Americas.

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Lunar eclipses can be viewed
from anywhere the Moon is above

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the horizon at the time.

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The show unfolds overnight

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on March 13th and into the 14th,
depending on your time zone.

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Check the schedule for your area
for precise timing.

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Now, during a total
lunar eclipse,

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we watch as the Moon passes
through Earth's shadow.

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It first appears to have a bite
taken out of one side,

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but as maximum eclipse nears, 

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the Moon transforms
into a deep crimson orb.

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That red color
comes from the ring

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of all the sunsets and sunrises
you'd see encircling our planet

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if you were an astronaut
on the lunar surface right then.

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Afterward, the eclipse plays out
in reverse, with the red color

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fading and the dark bite

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shrinking until the Moon
looks like its usual self again.

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And here's an
interesting pattern: 

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eclipses always arrive in pairs.

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A couple of weeks before
or after a lunar eclipse,

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there's always a solar eclipse.

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And this time, it's a partial
solar eclipse that will be

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visible across Eastern Canada,
Greenland and Northern Europe.

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The Moon has a dark side, 

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but it may not be
what you think.

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As it orbits around Earth
each month,

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the Moon is also rotating
or spinning.

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So, while we always see
the same face of the Moon,

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sunlight sweeps

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across the lunar surface
every month as it rotates.

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This means there's
no permanently “dark” side.

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The Moon's dark side faces Earth
when the Moon passes

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between our planet
and the sun each month.

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This is the moment
when the Moon is said

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to be “new,” as in a fresh start
for its changing phases.

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The new moon is also located

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quite close
to the sun in the sky,

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making it more or less invisible

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unless there's a solar eclipse.

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Nights around the new moon
phase provide

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excellent opportunities
for observing the sky,

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especially if you're
using a telescope

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or doing astrophotography.

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Without moonlight
washing out the sky.

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You can better see faint stars,

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nebulas, the Milky Way,
and distant galaxies.

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So next time someone mentions
the “dark side of the Moon,”

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you'll know there's
more to the story...

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and you might even discover
some deep-sky treasures

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while the Moon takes
its monthly break.

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Here are the phases of
the Moon for March.

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Stay up to date on
all of NASA's missions

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exploring the Solar System
and beyond at science.nasa.gov.

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I'm Preston Dyches from NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory,

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and that's What's Up
for this month.