Winter evenings are known for their many bright stars gracing our sky. By the time March arrives, those stars lie in the western half of the sky, and by April they still are easily visible but have drifted noticeably closer to the western horizon.
Look low in the west-southwest in the first half of March shortly after sunset for unmistakable, brilliant Venus. As darkness settles, Venus drops from view, but Jupiter shines brightly almost overhead, brighter than any star. The delicate Pleiades star cluster twinkles below the mighty planet, while the coarser Hyades cluster with the bright red star Aldebaran lie between them. North of Jupiter is the fourth brightest star in the night sky, Capella. And south of Jupiter are the stars of Orion lead by the blue-white Rigel and the red Betelgeuse. To their left, but somewhat higher shimmers the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius.
A captivating scene for sure. But it is made more magical on the evenings of April 1 and 2 with the addition of the crescent moon, full with earthshine. On the first evening, it floats immediately next to the Pleiades, almost bumping into it. On the next evening, it stands guard next to Jupiter. Higher still shines red Mars.
Make this memorable by visiting a state park or an overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Be sure to bring binoculars!
The story above first appeared in our March / April 2025 issue.
