In this guide we'll reveal what you can see in the night sky tonight, and throughout the month.
Those of us who enjoy stargazing and observing the night sky can't always plan when and where we're going to get the chance to gaze upwards.
Busy schedules, light pollution, the weather: sometimes finding even just 30 minutes to stand and stare up at a clear, dark night sky and take in the planets, stars and constellations can be a feat in itself.
So when you do find the time, you'll need to know what's visible in the night sky tonight, and the best things to look out for when stargazing.
Complete newcomer? Read our guides to the best telescopes for beginners and astronomy for beginners.
Here's our stargazing guide to what you can see in the night sky tonight.
Our guide is centred around what's visible from the UK, but all northern hemisphere observers should be able to use it, with the odd adjustment to stated times.
In our guide, we use Universal Time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST). UT is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. BST is one hour ahead of UT.
We also use RA (Right ascension)and dec. (declination).
These coordinates are the night sky’s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial ‘globe’.
For help with these, read our guide to celestial coordinates.
For more advice, read our guide on how to stargaze or sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter for weekly tips delivered directly to your email inbox.
If you're south of the equator, find out what you can see in the Southern Hemisphere night sky tonight.
What's in the night sky tonight?
March astronomy highlights
- 7 March: Venus, Saturn and Neptune lie within a 1.5° circle (evening, low altitude)
- 19 March: A thin Moon-spotting opportunity at moonset, 1 hour after sunset
- 20 March: A 3%-lit waxing crescent Moon lies near Venus (evening)
- 25 March: The Lunar X and V are visible this evening
- 28 March: A 4%-lit waxing gibbous Moon partially occults the Beehive Cluster
Family stargazing tip
The young crescent Moon is beautifully presented in the western part of the sky after sunset as spring approaches – a great chance to get acquainted with it and how its phases change from one day to the next.
From 20 March onwards, if the sky is clear, wait for the Sun to set then challenge your youngster to find the waxing crescent Moon.
Once found, suggest drawing the shape of the Moon and any visible markings. Have another go on subsequent clear nights. For a tougher challenge, try to find the ultra-thin crescent on 19 March.
March 2026 stargazing highlights
Spring equinox
The Northern Hemisphere’s vernal or spring equinox occurs on 20 March, one of two positions in Earth’s orbit where the Earth effectively orientates sideways to the Sun; the Sun crosses the celestial equator.
This particular equinox marks the transition of the Sun from the southern to northern celestial hemisphere. For stargazing this has a profound effect, as it’s the time of year when the length of night shrinks at its fastest rate and the window for viewing stars narrows.
This isn’t helped by the UK’s daylight savings which are applied from 29 March, the clocks going forward by one hour at 01:00 UT to become 02:00 BST. Evenings will appear lighter, meaning you’ll need to wait an hour longer to catch that already diminishing darkness.
Comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos
However, it's not all bad news, as there are lots of things going on this month.
Comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos appears back on the scene. We caught sight of this comet as it was brightening last year but, unfortunately, its brightest appearance occurred whilst it was below the UK’s horizon.
Now, it’s climbing back above the horizon and, of course, it’s dimming! Despite this, it’s likely to be an eighth magnitude binocular object at the start of March as it passes up from a position south of the head of Cetus.
It dims to tenth magnitude by the end of March, when it’s nicely located just to the south of the Hyades open cluster in Taurus.
The best time to observe comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos will be when the Moon is out of the way. Full Moon is on 3 March.
The Moon
The Moon puts on some moves of its own this month. It is new on 19 March, but may still be seen on that day in the evening sky.
This will be a thin Moon spotting opportunity, the Moon’s phase at this time being just 0.7%.
Try to locate it using binoculars on the evening of 19 March after the Sun has set, low above the western horizon. The Moon will set one hour after the Sun.
The following evening, the Moon’s phase is 3% waxing which should be much easier to see.
This still thin crescent sits 6° north of mag. -3.8 Venus in the evening twilight, a glorious sight at any time.
A few days later on 25 March, a view of the first quarter Moon around 20:50 UT through a small telescope will reveal the popular lunar X and V clair-obscur effects.
These appear on the lunar terminator, the light and shadow of this rugged line displaying shapes that resemble the letters ‘X’ and ‘V’.
On the evening of 26 March, the now 61%-lit waxing gibbous Moon is 5.2° northeast of mag. -2.1 Jupiter.
And then, in the early hours of 28 March, at 74% waxing phase, the Moon partially occults the Beehive Cluster, M44, in Cancer.
Stars and constellations
During March, that rapid expansion of twilight works with the natural apparent westward drift of the stars to shorten Orion’s visibility and by the end of the month, the hunter is low above the southwest horizon as darkness falls.
The spring stars are now moving centre-stage led by Leo, a constellation characterised by the backward question mark pattern of stars forming the Sickle asterism.
The appearance of Leo marks a shift from a sky populated by local deep sky objects, such as clusters and nebulae, to remote deep space objects such as galaxies, made visible because the plane of the Milky Way is rotating out of view.
Night sky in March 2026, night-by-night
Sunday 1 March
Ganymede disappears into Jupiter’s shadow at 19:48 UT, reappearing again
at 23:11 UT.
Thursday 5 March
From now until 26 March is the optimum time to observe deep-sky objects on the boundary of Ursa Major and Leo Minor.
Saturn 7 March
At around 18:40 UT, a low-altitude Venus is visible together with Saturn and Neptune, all three contained within a 1.5° circle. Neptune may be hidden by the twilight. Venus and Saturn will be 1.2° apart.
Sunday 8 March
Ganymede can be seen entering occultation behind Jupiter at 19:10 UT, re-emerging at 22:29 UT before then becoming eclipsed by Jupiter’s shadow at 23:47 UT.
Monday 9 March
Callisto is eclipsed by the shadow of Jupiter between 20:16 and 00:32 UT tonight.
Tuesday 10 March
In the early hours, the 61%-lit waning gibbous Moon can be seen approaching the red supergiant Antares (Alpha (α) Scorpii). At 04:30 UT, both are separated by 3.8°.
Tuesday 17 March
Callisto transits Jupiter’s disc between 19:40 and 23:35 UT this evening.
Thursday 19 March
New Moon occurs at 01:23 UT; a favourable ecliptic angle makes for a good thin-Moon-spotting opportunity after sunset.
Ganymede’s shadow is in transit between 17:54 and 21:16 UT.
Friday 20 March
The Northern Hemisphere’s vernal or spring equinox is today.
Now over a day old, this evening’s 3%-lit waxing crescent Moon can be seen 6° north of bright Venus.
Saturday 21 March
Asteroid 20 Massalia reaches opposition today, shining at mag. +9.0 near the Bowl of Virgo.
Tuesday 24 March
Catch Promontorium Archerusia as it’s revealed by the dawn terminator on the waxing crescent Moon this evening.
Wednesday 25 March
The popular clair-obscur effects known as the Lunar X and V occur this evening, best seen from around 20:50 UT when the two letters may be seen within the Moon’s rugged terminator region.
Thursday 26 March
Callisto is occulted by Jupiter at 02:24 UT.
This evening’s 61%-lit waxing gibbous Moon sits near bright Jupiter.
Friday 27 March
Get a morning view of the southern portion of the low Moon after 02:30 UT to see the Eyes of Clavius, formed when the elevated rims of 21km Clavius C and 28km Clavius D, both located inside 225km Clavius, are illuminated.
Sunday 29 March
At 19:12 BST (18:12 UT), the 88%-lit Moon occults Regulus (Alpha (α) Leonis) under daylight conditions. Reappearance occurs at 19:16 UT under darkening twilight (times correct for central UK).
Tuesday 31 March
Although faded to 10th magnitude, comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) is currently well located, immediately to the south of the V-shaped Hyades open cluster in Taurus.
Share your observations and images with us, or send us your astronomy questions to contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
