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Sky Digest

Saturday, 7 March 2026 | Default Location
Showing the sky from Greenwich, London. Log in to use your own location.
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Tonight at a Glance

Waning Gibbous 82%
Dark window: 18:59 – 05:00 (10 h 0 m)

Bright moon tonight — best deep-sky viewing before moonrise (22:59)

Aurora Forecast — Unlikely

Kp 6.7 / need 7 Bz -0.2 nT G3

Need Kp 7+ (currently 6.7). Watch for geomagnetic storm upgrades.

View full forecast

Planet Highlights

Jupiter mag -2.4 · 59° alt · Gemini Details
GRS transit tonight:
Europa Transit ends
Europa Shadow transit begins
Europa Shadow transit ends
Io Shadow transit begins
+2 more — Details

For Beginners (naked eye)

M44
Beehive Cluster or Praesepe Open Cluster
mag 3.7

At 21:00 look high in the south

Cancer
M42
Great Orion Nebula Nebula
mag 4.0

At 21:00 look halfway up in the southwest

Orion
NGC 2232
Open Cluster
mag 3.9

At 21:00 look halfway up in the southwest

Mon

Binocular Targets

R Leo
Variable Star
mag 6.0

At 21:00 look halfway up in the southeast

Leo
M47
NGC 2422 Open Cluster
mag 4.4

At 21:00 look low in the south

Puppis
M31
Andromeda Galaxy Galaxy
mag 3.4

At 21:00 look low in the northwest

Andromeda

Small Scopes (3–6 inch)

Castor
HIP 36850; Alpha Gem; 66 Gem Double Star
mag 2.0

At 21:00 look high in the south

Gem
C58
NGC 2360 Open Cluster
mag 7.2

At 21:00 look low in the south

Canis Major
Eskimo Nebula
NGC 2392 Planetary Nebula
mag 9.2

At 21:00 look high in the south

Gemini
M81
Bode's Galaxy Galaxy
mag 6.9

At 21:00 look high in the northeast

Ursa Major
R Cnc
Variable Star
mag 7.1

At 21:00 look high in the south

Cnc

Big Scopes (8–12 inch)

Z Cam
Variable Star
mag 10.0

At 21:00 look high in the north

Cam
NGC 2432
Open Cluster
mag 10.0

At 21:00 look low in the south

Pup
NGC 2438
Planetary Nebula
mag 10.0

At 21:00 look low in the south

Pup
C7
NGC 2403 Galaxy
mag 8.4

At 21:00 look near the zenith

Camelopardalis
T Tau
Variable Star
mag 9.3

At 21:00 look halfway up in the west

Tau

The Week Ahead

Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
🌖 82% 🌖 74% 🌖 65% 🌖 55% 🌗 46% 🌗 36% 🌗 27%

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Two Eclipses of Saros 133

Centered on maximum eclipse, these two total lunar eclipse sequences look almost identical. Yet the one shown on top is composed of images recorded in February 2008, while at the bottom is the recent March 2026 total eclipse of the Moon. Why are they so similar? Because these two total lunar eclipses are from the same Saros cycle. The Saros cycle was discovered historically from observations of the Moon's orbit. With a period of 18 years, 11 and 1/3 days, the cycle predicts when the Sun, Earth, and Moon all return to the same relative geometry for a lunar (or solar) eclipse. Eclipses separated by one Saros period belong to the same numbered Saros series, in this case Saros 133. So expect the next lunar eclipse in Saros 133 to be a repeat of this year's March 3 eclipse. You can watch the next Saros 133 total lunar eclipse on March 13, 2044. Growing Gallery: Total Lunar Eclipse of March 3

Image credit: Tunc Tezel — APOD is a service of NASA and Michigan Tech. U.

View on NASA APOD

Space News

NASA Simulations Improve Artemis II Launch Environment

NASA used advanced simulations to optimize launch conditions for Artemis II, the first crewed mission around the Moon, demonstrating critical preparation for the agency's lunar exploration program.

NASA — 20 Mar 2026

Artemis II rolls again

Artemis II rocket completed a second rollout to its launchpad at Kennedy Space Center, advancing the timeline for NASA's crewed lunar test flight.

ESA — 20 Mar 2026

How Open NASA Data on Comet 3I/ATLAS Will Power Tomorrow’s Discoveries

NASA's observations of the rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS from over a dozen science missions will be preserved in public archives for future research discoveries.

NASA — 20 Mar 2026

Smiles and Spacesuits

ISS astronaut Chris Williams completed a spacesuit fit verification procedure, essential preparation for upcoming spacewalks and extravehicular activities on the International Space Station.

NASA — 20 Mar 2026

Meet the Platypi: NASA’s Newest Astronaut Candidate Class

NASA's newest astronaut candidate class of ten explorers is training for future missions to the ISS, Moon, and Mars, representing the next generation of space explorers.

NASA — 19 Mar 2026

Watch Earth from Space

A 3D globe with real-time day/night terminator, ISS position tracking, aurora oval overlay, and city lights. See where the sun is shining — and where the stars are out.

Watch Earth from Space Open Earth

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