Stuck at home this week? The planets
and our moon are providing some early
morning entertainment.
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and a crescent moon will
be clustered together in the southeastern sky
just before daybreak. Mercury will peek above
the horizon.
All this is happening amid the earliest March
equinox in 124 years.
The vernal equinox, which marks the beginning
of spring in the Northern Hemisphere — and
autumn in the Southern Hemisphere — will
occur late Thursday night in the U.S. That’s the
earliest since 1896.
This is also a good time to spot Sirius, the
brightest star in our night sky. Barely 8.6 light-
years away, Sirius is especially brilliant this time
of year. It’s also known as the Dog Star because
it’s in the Canis Major constellation.
To spot Sirius, find Orion in the southern sky
and follow Orion’s belt. The three stars making
up the belt point toward Sirius, downward in
the Northern Hemisphere and upward in the
Southern Hemisphere.