Star Almanack
Alexander Ferrari Miller

ISO 2025-W10

Week begins: Monday, March 3, 2025

Notation:

Calendar

DateZodiac dayEvents
Mon, Mar 3, 2025♓ 14
Tue, Mar 4, 2025♓ 15
C96 / NGC 2516 — Telescope 4 — Southern Winter
C54 / NGC 2506 — Telescope 8 — Tropical Winter
Wed, Mar 5, 2025♓ 16
Naos (ζ Pup) — Naked eye 2 — Southern Winter
Thu, Mar 6, 2025♓ 17
🌓 First Quarter — 16:31:38 UTC
Fri, Mar 7, 2025♓ 18
Gam-2 — Naked eye 2 — Southern Winter
Finest NGC 36 / NGC 2539 · Collinder 176 — Telescope 8 — Tropical Winter
Sat, Mar 8, 2025♓ 19
M48 — Telescope 6 — Tropical Winter
Sun, Mar 9, 2025♓ 20
Tarf (β Cnc) — Binoculars 4 — Tropical Winter
α Cha — Binoculars 4 — Antarctic Winter

Weekly Solar-System Ephemeris

Snapshot: Week begins March 3, 2025, 00:00 UTC.

(-90° to +90°; defaults +45°, 21:00 LAT)

Notation:
Body☉︎☽︎☿︎♀︎♂︎♃︎♄︎
Ecliptic♓︎ 12°39′
β +0°00′		♈︎ 23°30′
β +2°20′		♓︎ 29°26′
β +0°40′		♈︎ 10°49′
β +7°03′		♋︎ 17°18′
β +3°29′		♊︎ 12°26′
β −0°23′		♓︎ 20°56′
β −1°55′
ObservingNightNaked eye -7.8☉︎Naked eye -4.7Naked eye -0.2Naked eye -2.3☉︎
Rise06:2307:3906:5706:4612:2110:1006:52
Set17:3721:1619:0520:1904:2101:2618:15

Extended targets:

Body⚳︎♅︎♆︎♇︎
Ecliptic♓︎ 2°45′
β −7°28′		♉︎ 23°41′
β −0°14′		♓︎ 28°58′
β −1°16′		♒︎ 2°56′
β −3°22′
Observing☉︎Binoculars 5.8☉︎TelescopeTelescope 14.5
Rise06:4409:0807:0605:04
Set16:2423:5118:5913:52

β = ecliptic latitude (+ north, − south).
Rise and set are Local Apparent Time for the selected latitude.
Naked-eye observing uses the Sun’s altitude at the selected Monday observer time: Daylight (Sun ≥ −0.833°), Civil twilight (−0.833° to −6°), Nautical twilight (−6° to −12°), Astronomical twilight (−12° to −18°), and Night (below −18°).
Solar Glare identifies a body too close to the Sun when the sky-state rule does not already supersede its naked-eye classification.
The Sun’s observing status uses this same five-state sky classification.

Notation:

Planet Finder

Planet Finder — Greek / Symbols
Greek / Symbols
Planet Finder — English
English
Planet Finder — Mixed Learner
Mixed Learner

Sky Notes

Kilroy: Sky Notes · generated 2026-10-23 05:38:33 UTC

View:

ISO 2025-W10 runs from March 3 through March 9. Mercury and Neptune are separated by about 0.5° in geocentric ecliptic longitude at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Jupiter is about 2.6° in ecliptic longitude from Aldebaran in Taurus.

Naked eye: 🌓 First Quarter — 16:31:38 UTC. Moderate moonlight makes timing and local sky position important for faint targets. Use Naos, Gamma-2 Vel as the week’s fixed-sky framework.

Naos: The Pioneering Bright Star of the Pup Constellation — A luminous beacon in the southern skies, Naos exemplifies stellar importance and celestial beauty.

Vel's Bright Star: A Guiding Light in the South — An exploration of a notable star in the constellation Vel, shining steadily as a beacon for observers and navigators alike.

Planets: Moon: Naked eye; magnitude -7.8; direct motion; 12.3% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Mars in ecliptic longitude Mar 09 00:52 UTC. Conjunction with Jupiter in ecliptic longitude Mar 06 10:16 UTC. Conjunction with Uranus in ecliptic longitude Mar 05 01:56 UTC. Mercury: In solar glare; magnitude -0.9; direct motion; 68.5% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Venus: Naked eye; magnitude -4.7; retrograde motion; 12.8% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Mars: Naked eye; magnitude -0.2; direct motion; 93.5% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Mar 09 00:52 UTC. Ceres: In solar glare; magnitude 9.1; direct motion; 99.9% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Jupiter: Naked eye; magnitude -2.3; direct motion; 99.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Mar 06 10:16 UTC. Saturn: In solar glare; magnitude 1.1; direct motion; 100.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Uranus: Binoculars; magnitude 5.8; direct motion; 99.9% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Mar 05 01:56 UTC. Neptune: In solar glare; magnitude 7.8; direct motion; 100.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Pluto: Substantial telescope; magnitude 14.5; direct motion; 100.0% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot.

Binoculars: Trace Cancer’s charted figure in the finder, then identify Tarf at its charted position. Trace Chamaeleon’s charted figure in the finder, then identify α Cha at its charted position.

Tarf: A Bright Beacon in Cancer's Sea — Discover the characteristics and significance of the star Tarf (Beta Cancri), a notable figure in the constellation

Alpha Chamaeleontis: A Beacon in the Southern Skies — Discover the characteristics and celestial context of this notable star from the constellation Chamaeleon.

Small telescope: NGC 2516: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; NGC 2506: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; Collinder 176: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; M48: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance

Carina's Stellar Gem: An Overview of Caldwell 96 — Discover the open cluster Caldwell 96 in the constellation Carina, a captivating example of stellar congregation whose celestial significance continues to inspire astronomers and stargazers alike.

The Open Cluster in Monoceros: An Astronomical Gem — Exploring the serene beauty and significance of Caldwell Catalog object C54, nestled in the constellation Monoceros.

Exploring Collinder 176: An Open Cluster in the Constellation Puppis — A closer look at the intriguing stellar grouping situated in Puppis, revealing its characteristics and significance.

M48: A Bright Open Cluster in Hydra's Night Sky — Discover the beauty and significance of the Messier 48, a prominent open cluster in the constellation Hydra.

Substantial telescope: No fixed-sky Calendar object is classified as requiring a substantial telescope this week.

Other objects listed this week: None

Mercury

Mercury: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 06:57; sets 19:05 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -0.9. The disk is 68.5% illuminated (gibbous). It is 16.8° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 1.506° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Fumalsamakah, 13.4° away. Neptune is 2.0° away at the snapshot. Mercury: 13.4° from Fumalsamakah in the Pathfinder.

Venus

Venus: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 7.4° below the horizon. Rises 06:46; sets 20:19 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -4.7. The disk is 12.8% illuminated (crescent). It is 29.0° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is retrograde at 0.040° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Alpheratz, 19.0° away. Venus: 19.0° from Alpheratz in the Pathfinder.

Moon

Moon: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 2.2° above the horizon. Rises 07:39; sets 21:16 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -7.8. The disk is 12.3% illuminated (waxing crescent). It is 40.9° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 14.731° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Sheratan, 12.4° away. Conjunction with Mars in ecliptic longitude Mar 09 00:52 UTC. Conjunction with Jupiter in ecliptic longitude Mar 06 10:16 UTC. Conjunction with Uranus in ecliptic longitude Mar 05 01:56 UTC. Moon: 12.4° from Sheratan in the Pathfinder.

Mars

Mars: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 69.3° above the horizon. Rises 12:21; sets 04:21 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -0.2. The disk is 93.5% illuminated (gibbous). It is 124.6° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.082° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Pollux, 7.0° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Mar 09 00:52 UTC. Mars: 7.0° from Pollux in the Pathfinder.

Jupiter

Jupiter: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 44.6° above the horizon. Rises 10:10; sets 01:26 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -2.3. The disk is 99.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 89.8° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.085° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Aldebaran, 5.6° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Mar 06 10:16 UTC. Jupiter: 5.6° from Aldebaran in the Pathfinder.

Saturn

Saturn: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 06:52; sets 18:15 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 1.1. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 8.5° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.123° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Fumalsamakah, 11.1° away. Saturn: 11.1° from Fumalsamakah in the Pathfinder.

Uranus

Uranus: binoculars at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 28.5° above the horizon. Rises 09:08; sets 23:51 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 5.8. The disk is 99.9% illuminated (nearly full). It is 71.0° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.027° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Menkar, 15.2° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Mar 05 01:56 UTC. Uranus: 15.2° from Menkar in the Pathfinder.

Neptune

Neptune: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 07:06; sets 18:59 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 7.8. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 16.4° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.037° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Fumalsamakah, 14.4° away. Mercury is 2.0° away at the snapshot. Neptune: 14.4° from Fumalsamakah in the Pathfinder.

Ceres

Ceres: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 06:44; sets 16:24 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 9.1. The disk is 99.9% illuminated (nearly full). It is 12.4° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.391° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Fomalhaut, 13.7° away. Ceres: 13.7° from Fomalhaut in the Pathfinder.

Pluto

Pluto: substantial telescope at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 67.1° below the horizon. Rises 05:04; sets 13:52 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 14.5. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 39.8° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.026° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Dabih, 8.1° away. Pluto: 8.1° from Dabih in the Pathfinder.