Mars’ new moon phase is upon us, bringing gorgeous dark skies free of natural light pollution – perfect for exploring constellations and deep sky objects that are all too often obscured by moonlight!
This month new moon takes place at 9:23 PM EDT March 18 (0223 GMT March 19) when the lunar disc passes between the sun and Earth. Around this time, the lunar disc is invisible from our perspective, lost in the sun’s glare.
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Visible planets
Set out in a spot with an unobstructed view to the west for a chance to see Venus shine low on the horizon in the hour after sunset. This inner world – often referred to as Earth’s twin due to its size and rocky composition – will disappear quickly below the horizon about 90 minutes after sunset, so be quick!
With the moon tucked safely below the horizon, Jupiter will be the brightest object in the night sky. It can be found shining high overhead in the southern sky as the sun sets in mid-March, close to the bright stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini.
Uranusmeanwhile, lurking in the constellation The bulltoo faint for the naked eye to see. To find Uranus, first find the bright red star Aldebaran, which shines to the right of Orion in the evening sky. Uranus’s tiny water disk can be found by sweeping an 8-inch (200 mm) scope across the patch of sky 5 degrees to the lower right of Aldebaran — about the width of your three middle fingers held at arm’s length — near the hazy light of Pleiades open star cluster.
Mercury is visible as a predawn planet in mid-to-late March, which will appear to rise low on the eastern horizon before quickly disappearing in the glare of the rising Sun. Marchand Neptune remain too close to the Sun to be seen.
As always, the utmost care must be taken never to point a telescope or binoculars near the rising sun, as this will permanently and immediately damage your vision.
Stars and constellations
Look over the southwestern horizon in the hours after sunset to track the bright stars in Winter hexagon shining defiantly in the early spring sky.
Start with Sirius — the brightest star in the night sky — which can be found above the southern evening horizon in the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog.
Then you’ll find the brilliant light of the blue supergiant star Rigel twinkling beneath the familiar sight of Orion’s belt in the upper right of Sirius, before jumping higher in the west to the red star Aldebaran, which forms the right eye of the celestial bull in the constellation Taurus.
Our next stop is Capella, even higher, which stands as the brightest point in the constellation Auriga, before traveling east to find bright Pollux in the upper left of Jupiter, representing the head of one of two immortal twins in the constellation Gemini. The final Winter Hexagon star, Procyon, can be found shining between Pollux and Sirius, in the constellation Canis Minor, the “Little Dog”.
Star clusters and deep sky objects
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The nights around the new moon phase are a great time to see the ancient diffuse light of star clusters shining in the pristine dark spring sky.
Allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for at least 20 minutes before returning your gaze to the constellation Taurus and red Aldebaran. The “V” formation of stars extending from it is the Hyades open star cluster, which represents the face of a great bull charging towards Orion, the hunter.
From there, look about 15 degrees to the right of the Hyades to see the ancient light of the Pleiades star cluster, which appears as a hazy patch of light to the naked eye from a dark sky. A pair of 10X50 binoculars will allow you to see the seven brightest members – from which it was nicknamed the “Seven Sisters” – while a small telescope will bring dozens more of the 1,000 bright stars into view.
To the left of Castor and Pollux lie the constellation Cancerthe Crab, whose core hosts the 100-strong population of stars in the Beehive Cluster (M44), which is visible as a small, hazy patch of light on moonless nights.
The new moon is also an ideal time to observe the light of ancient galaxies, as spring brings a variety constellations packed with amazing galactic goals to prominence. Check out our guide to spring galaxy season to find out more!
Zodiacal light
If you’re lucky, you may see a strange column of pale light stretching up from the western horizon in the hours after sunset in late March. This phenomenon, known as zodiac lightsoccurs when sunlight is reflected from a huge cloud of dust spread along the plane of the solar system, known as the ecliptic.
Want to take a closer look at the wonders of the kingdom after sunset? Then make sure to read our summary of top telescopes and binoculars to observe the night sky. If photography is your thing, you should read our picks best lenses and camera housing for astrophotography in 2026.
Editor’s note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com readers, please send your photos, comments, and name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
