MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The 2024 eclipse is almost one month away! Before we get into talking more about that, we have several things you will be able to see in our March night sky here in Memphis and the Mid-South.
We got some really nice photos of the Moon from some of our viewers during the month of February.
In March, you will have to stay up just a bit later to take a look at the night sky. Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, which means our sunsets will be an hour later going forward. This changes our sunset to 7:04 PM on the 10th, and it will continue to get later as we head towards summer.
There won't be anything noteworthy outside of some general stargazing until we get into the middle of the month. On the 13th, the Moon and Jupiter will appear in our evening sky just after sunset. Just look to the west to see the two in our sky.
On the 25th, we will get our full Moon for the month, known as the "Worm Moon." It is given this name for the earthworms that start to appear with the warming temperatures this time of the year.
Along with this, we will also have a visible lunar eclipse here in the Mid-South. Before getting too excited, the Moon will not be passing into the main shadow of the Earth this time, so don't expect a dark, red moon. Instead, in what is called a Penumbral Eclipse, the Moon will appear barely dimmer in our night sky. Nothing to get too excited over, but it does precede a much more exciting event.
Eclipses normally occur in pairs spaced about two weeks out from each other. This is typically the period of time that the Moon is around the Earth's plane in its orbit. This happens to mark exactly two weeks out from our total solar eclipse that will be on April 8.
If you would like to be featured in April's Night Sky Update, feel free to send in any photos or videos to 901-321-7520.
