Sun, Moon, and Stars: March 2002

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff
Sun, moon, stars March 2002
 
 



Major phenomena
6Last Quarter
14New Moon
20Vernal Equinox
22First Quarter
28Full Moon
Other Months
Month
Year 
(available through 3/2007)
Celestial Links
Astronomical terms



Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset



Equinoxes and Solstices



Eclipses in 2002



Calendar 2002



Universal Time


 
Visit the Astronomy Center for more on the universe, the solar system, and related astronomical phenomena
March 2002—Week 1 (March 1-5)

3/1:
1500 UT, 10 am EST

Jupiter appears to be motionless in the sky as its apparent backward, or retrograde, motion changes back to direct motion.



March 2002—Week 2 (March 6-12)
3/6:
0100 UT, 8 pm EST (March 5)

LAST QUARTER
3/9:
0300 UT, 10 pm EST (March 8)

Mercury is 1 degree 2 minutes south of Uranus.
3/10:
0900 UT, 4 am EST

Neptune is 4 degrees north of the Moon.
3/11:
1700 UT, 12 pm EST (noon)

Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon.
3/12:
0100 UT, 8 pm EST (March 11)

Mercury is 3 degrees north of the Moon.



March 2002—Week 3 (March 13-19)



3/14:
0100 UT, 8 pm EST (March 13)

The Moon is at its apogee, or farthest point from Earth in its monthly orbit.
0200 UT, 9 pm EST (March 13)

NEW MOON
3/18:
0100 UT, 8 pm EST (March 17)

Mars is 4 degrees north of the Moon.



March 2002—Week 4 (March 20-26)



3/20:
1000 UT, 5 am EST

Saturn is 0 degrees 5 minutes south of the Moon. Saturn is occulted, or hidden from view, by the Moon.
1000 UT, 5 am EST

Vesta, the third-largest asteroid, is 0 degrees 5 minutes south of the Moon. The asteroid is occulted, or hidden from view, by the Moon.
1900 UT, 2 pm EST

EQUINOX [more about the Vernal Equinox]
3/21:
0600 UT, 1 am EST

Pluto appears to be motionless in the sky as its direct motion changes to apparent backward, or retrograde, motion.
3/22:
0200 UT, 9 pm EST

FIRST QUARTER
1200 UT, 7 am EST

Jupiter is 1 degree 1 minute south of the Moon.
3/23:
1200 UT, 7 am EST

The asteroid Juno appears to be motionless in the sky as its direct motion changes to apparent backward, or retrograde, motion.



March 2002—Week 5 (March 27-31)

 

3/28:
0800 UT, 3 am EST

The Moon is at its perigee, or closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.
1800 UT, 1 pm EST

FULL MOON
3/31:
1600 UT, 11 am EST

Saturn is 4 degrees north of Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus.



 

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