Stargazing Calendar for March 2026
This March 2026 brings a dynamic mix of stargazing events, including a total lunar eclipse, multiple planetary conjunctions, a comet at perihelion, and the March equinox. From bright naked-eye pairings to telescope-only targets, the month offers something for every astronomy enthusiast.
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List of Meteor Showers in March 2026
- Antihelion Source: Start on December 10; multiple peaks; end September 10.
- γ-Normids: Start on February 25; peak on March 14; end on March 28.
We also have a complete list of meteor showers for the entire year of 2026 here.
List of Planetary Conjunctions in March 2026
- Conjunction of Ceres and Eris in Pisces and Cetus on March 6.
- Conjunction of Venus and Neptune in Pisces on March 7.
- Conjunction of Venus and Saturn in Pisces on March 8.
- Conjunction of Mars and Mercury in Aquarius on March 14.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury in Aquarius on March 17.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Mars in Aquarius on March 17.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Venus in Pisces on March 20.
- Close approach of the Moon and the Pleiades in Taurus on March 23.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter in Gemini on March 26.
- Close approach of the Moon and Beehive Cluster in Cancer on March 26.
Moon Phases in March 2026
As you know, the Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies and astronomical events in the night sky. So to help you with stargazing, here’s a calendar of the phases of Moon for this month of March 2026:
March 3: Total lunar eclipse
To start the month off, on March 3, there will be a total lunar eclipse between 08:45 and 14:23 UTC. This happens when the Moon passes completely through the Earth’s dark shadow, also known as umbra. (See featured image at the top of the article.) This lunar eclipse will be visible anywhere the Moon happens to be above the horizon at that time. First the Moon will get darker gradually and then it will shift to a rusty red or blood red color. See NASA’s fact sheet below.
March 6: Conjunction of Ceres and Eris
Dwarf planets Ceres and Eris will reach conjunction passing within 5°10′ of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
Ceres will be at apparent magnitude 9.1 in the constellation of Pisces and Eris at magnitude 18.6 in the neighboring constellation of Cetus. The Moon will be a 17 days old waning gibbous at 85%.
March 7: Conjunction of Venus and Neptune
Venus and Neptune will reach conjunction passing within 4’26” of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
Venus will be at apparent magnitude -3.9 and Neptune at magnitude 8.0 both in the constellation of Pisces. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Ceres and Eris on March 6.) The Moon will be a 18 days old waning gibbous at 78%.
You will need a telescope to view this conjunction because Neptune is not visible to the naked eye.
March 8: Conjunction of Venus and Saturn
Venus and Saturn will reach conjunction passing within 1°00′ of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
Venus will be at apparent magnitude -3.9 and Saturn at magnitude 0.9 both in the constellation of Pisces. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Ceres and Eris on March 6.) The Moon will be a 19 days old waning gibbous at 66%.
March 11: Jupiter ends retrograde motion
Jupiter will end retrograde motion, which means it will stop traveling westward through the constellations and instead return to the more usual eastward motion instead. All of the outer planets in the solar system periodically experience this orientation reversal, which occurs a few months before they reach opposition.
Ancient observers were troubled by retrograde motion because it didn’t fit with their belief in uniform circular orbits around the Earth. The phenomenon is actually due to Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which shifts our perspective and causes planets to appear to move back and forth in the sky while continuing their overall eastward path through the constellations.
Jupiter can be spotted in the constellation of Gemini with an apparent magnitude of -2.4. The Moon will be a 22 day old waning crescent at 46%.
March 14: Conjunction of Mars and Mercury
Mars and Mercury will reach conjunction passing within 2°10′ of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
Mars will be at apparent magnitude 1.2 and Mercury at magnitude 2.7 both in the constellation of Aquarius. The Moon will be a 25 day old waning crescent at 19%.
March 14: γ-Normid meteor shower peak
The Gamma Normids will be the only meteor shower to peak this March 2026 with a zenithal hourly rate of 6 meteors if conditions are optimal for stargazing. Fortunately those conditions will be close to optimal as the Moon will be a 25 days old waning crescent at 14%.
Some meteors may also be spotted between February 25 and March 28. They will radiate from the constellation of Norma (more precisely from a point near the star Gamma2 Normae) at the speed of 56 km/s on average. As Norma is a constellation of the southern sky, most meteors will be visible only in the Southern Hemisphere. However, with any luck, some could perhaps still be observed in more northern latitudes.
March 17: Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury
The Moon and Mercury will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 1°59′ of each other.
You can find both celestial bodies in the constellation of Aquarius, with the Moon at apparent magnitude -8.8 and Mercury at apparent magnitude 1.7. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Mars and Mercury on March 14.) The Moon will be a 28 days old waning crescent at 1%.
March 17: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars
The Moon and Mars will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 1°32′ of each other.
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Aquarius. The Moon will be at apparent magnitude of -8.2, while Mars will be at magnitude 1.2. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Mars and Mercury on March 14.)
March 18: Comet 88P/Howell at perihelion
The comet 88P/Howell will reach perihelion, meaning it will reach the closest point in its orbit to the Sun at a distance of 1.36 AU.
It will have an apparent magnitude of 9.3 according to the BAA Comet Section. It will be located in the constellation of Capricornus. The Moon will be a 29 days old waning crescent at less than 1% because it will be only a day away from new moon and so won’t be interfering much with stargazing this middle of March 2026.
March 20: Conjunction of the Moon and Venus
The Moon and Venus will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 4°37′ of each other.
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Pisces. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Ceres and Eris on March 6.) The Moon will be a 1 day old, very thin waxing crescent at 5%. Despite this, the Moon will still be at apparent magnitude of -8.9, while Venus will be at magnitude -3.9.
March 20: March equinox
At 14:48 UTC, we will have the March equinox, meaning the first day of spring for us here in the Northern Hemisphere or fall in the Southern Hemisphere. On this day, everywhere on Earth will have almost exactly 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night.
March 21: Asteroid 20 Massalia at opposition
Asteroid 20 Massalia will reach opposition, when it lies opposite to the Sun in the sky. It will reach the highest point in the sky around midnight local time.
On this occasion, the asteroid Massalia will pass within 1.291 AU of Earth and reach a peak brightness of apparent magnitude 9.0. Unfortunately even at the peak, this asteroid will be too faint to observe with the naked eye. You will need at least a 4 inch telescope, which you should point towards the constellation of Virgo. The Moon will be a 3 day old, very thin waxing crescent at 12%.
March 23: Close approach of the Moon and the Pleiades
The Moon and the Pleiades star cluster (M45) will make a close approach or appulse, by passing within 1°07′ of each other. This will happen in the constellation of Taurus.
You can observe this astronomical event with the naked eye because the Moon will be at apparent magnitude -11.2 and M45 at 1.3. The Moon will be a 4 days old waxing crescent at 28%.
March 26: Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter
The Moon and Jupiter will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 3°52′ of each other.
At around the same time the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 3°49′ from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension.
The two celestial bodies will meet in the constellation Gemini with the Moon at apparent magnitude of -12.1 and Jupiter at -2.3. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing Jupiter ending retrograde motion on March 11.) The Moon will be 7 days old waxing gibbous at 64%.
March 26: Close approach of the Moon and Beehive Cluster
The Moon and the Beehive Cluster (also known as M44 or Messier 44) will make a close approach, passing within 1°24′ of each other.
Both objects will be in the constellation of Cancer with the Moon being at apparent magnitude -12.4; and the Beehive Cluster at 3.1. The Moon will be at the full moon phase.
Positions of the Planets in March 2026
- Mercury: The closest planet to the Sun can be seen at dawn and dusk travelling across the constellations of Pisces and Aquarius. This planet, being the closest to the Sun, will appear to move quickly in the night sky and its position will change in the following weeks.
- Venus: The sister planet can be seen travelling across the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. Just like Mercury, Venus can only be seen at dawn and dusk.
- Mars: The red planet can be seen in the constellation of Capricornus and then Aquarius.
- Jupiter: The gas giant is visible in the constellation of Gemini. Jupiter can easily be spotted with the naked eye, even in highly illuminated cities.
- Saturn: The ringed giant can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation of Pisces.
- Uranus: The ice giant can be seen in the constellation of Taurus with the use of a telescope.
- Neptune: The blue giant requires a telescope pointed in the constellation of Pisces in order to be seen.
Positions of Dwarf Planets and Large Asteroids in March 2026
- Ceres: The asteroid belt’s lone dwarf planet can be seen in the constellation of Pisces with the help of a telescope.
- Vesta: This large asteroid can be seen in the constellation of Capricornus with a telescope.
- Pallas: The asteroid can be observed with a telescope in the constellation of Aquarius.
- Hygiea: The fourth largest asteroid can be found with a telescope in the constellation of Taurus.
- Pluto: This distant dwarf planet can be found in the constellation of Capricornus with the help of a large telescope.
Major astronomical events next month – April 2026
- April 1: Dwarf planet Makemake at opposition
- April 4: Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) at perihelion
- April 6: Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) at perigee
- April 19: Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) at perihelion
- April 22: Lyrids meteor shower peak
- April 23: π-Puppids meteor shower peak
- April 23: Dwar planet Haumea at opposition
- April 23: Comet 141P/Machholz at perihelion
- April 26: Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) at perigee
Conclusion
March offers an exceptional lineup of celestial events, from a dramatic total lunar eclipse to striking planetary pairings and the arrival of the March equinox. Whether you’re using binoculars or a telescope, stargazing this March 2026 provides plenty of opportunities to explore the night sky and deepen your appreciation for astronomy. Clear skies and careful planning will help you make the most of this month’s cosmic highlights.
To ensure you don’t miss out on any celestial happenings, sign up for our newsletter to receive stargazing calendars and more updates. Keep your telescopes ready and clear your calendar for these cosmic highlights!
Sources:
- Planetary ephemerides produced by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
- International Meteor Organization
See also:
- Previous month’s calendar: Stargazing Calendar for February 2026
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Paul Tomaszewski
Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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