All signs point to spring: stars and planets in March

Even though the meteorologists are already talking about spring: The calendrical beginning of spring is on 20 March. At exactly 16:34 in the afternoon, the sun crosses the equator and returns to the northern hemisphere. This day is the equinox, the sun rises exactly in the east, stands vertically above our equator at noon and sets exactly in the west.

From 21 March, the nights will become shorter again, as the sun rises a few minutes earlier and sets a little later each day. The time for stargazing decreases continuously and the dark night shrinks from around nine hours at the beginning of March to around seven and a half hours at the end of March.

Which stars, planets and celestial objects you can observe in the March nights, where and when exactly you can find them, which optical aids are recommended, you will find out in detail in our Sky Guide.

To the Sky Guide March

Delicate cone of light on the western horizon

Just after sunset in the late evening twilight, you can now spot the rare Zodiacal light on the western horizon at the beginning of the month, far away from the disturbing light of towns and cities. The delicate cone of light can be seen for one to two hours - and is nothing more than dust particles orbiting the sun and reflecting its light.

Set for spring: Spring triangle high in the south

The evening sky is still dominated by the winter constellations. Most prominent Orion with the reddish shining Betelgeuse. Diagonally below Orion, Sirius in the Great Dog is still shining very brightly. Let your gaze wander briefly towards the north: Here you can see the circumpolar constellations Big and Little Dipper, Cassiopeia and the famous Polaris.

But from midnight onwards, the spring constellations are high above our heads: Leo, Bear's Keeper and Virgo with their main stars Regulus, Arcturus and Spica. To find them, simply look for the unmissable great Libra, which is at its zenith just above our heads around midnight. Extend its tiller towards the horizon and you have found Arcturus. Extend the tiller further in a slight arc and you will find the bright, bluish Spica in Virgo. The constellation Leo lies exactly below the great Libra - the brightest star Regulus is then already the third corner of the spring triangle.

Planets: Venus gets two companions

You have to wait until the early hours of the morning for planets, because the March nights are planet-free. Then, however, at around five in the morning, Venus becomes visible first (at the end of March already shortly after half past four). The very bright morning star cannot be missed and remains visible for almost two hours, until sunrise.

And Venus does not come alone. She is accompanied by Mars, about three fingerbreadths below her at the beginning of the month. However, Mars is much more inconspicuous and is about as bright as a star.

Our observation tip: 12 March. Venus and Mars will then be just two fingerbreadths apart.

Venus' second companion will have to wait until the end of March. In the last days of March, Saturn is visible again - and is also much easier to see than Mars. Saturn was still clearly visible in the evening sky until December of last year, but then it moved away and passed behind the Sun in the last few weeks.

Our observation tip: 28 and 29 March. Then Saturn is exactly under Venus, Mars has positioned itself to the right of the two. On 31 March, by the way, you will find Saturn between Venus and Mars.

By the way: Even though astrologically the Jupiter year begins on 20 March, Jupiter is not visible in March. On 5 March it is in conjunction, i.e. exactly behind the Sun as seen from Earth. Mercury and Neptune are also not visible to us in March.

Uranus can be seen in the evening sky in March, but it needs a good telescope or better still a telescope.

27 March: Start of summer time

And there is another important date in March: On 27 March 2022, the clocks will change again. From two o'clock to three o'clock in the morning, one hour ahead.