07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
Explore This Section
Daily Guide
A detailed guide to the night sky written by a NASA expert featuring full Moon
lore, asteroid flybys, stars, galaxies, constellations, and more.
CONTENTS
Daily Guide: February - March 2024
Evening Sky Highlights
Morning Sky Highlights
Detailed Daily Guide
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 1/12
Daily Guide:
07/03/2024, 01:14
March 2024 February - NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
By Gordon Johnston
The Next Full Moon is the Snow, Storm, or Hunger Moon; the Wolf Moon; the Candles
Moon; the Chinese Lantern Festival; Magha Purnima or Māgha Pūjā; Navam Poya; and
Shab-e-Barat, Bara'at Night, or Mid-Sha'ban.
The next full Moon will be Saturday morning, February 24, 2024, appearing opposite the
Sun (in Earth-based longitude) at 7:30 AM EST. This will be on Sunday morning from
Kamchatka and Fiji time eastward to the International Dateline. The Moon will appear full
for 3 days around this time, from Thursday evening through Sunday morning.
The Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing "Indian" names for full Moons in the 1930s
and these names are now widely known and used. According to this almanac, as the full
Moon in February the tribes of the northeastern United States called this the Snow or
Storm Moon because of the heavy snows in this season. Bad weather and heavy
snowstorms made hunting difficult, so this Moon was also called the Hunger Moon. NOAA
monthly averages for the Washington, DC area airports (DCA and IAD) from 1991 to 2020
show January and February nearly tied as the snowiest months of the year (with February
one tenth of an inch ahead).
Some sources list the Wolf Moon as an old European name for this full Moon. Another
European name is the Candles Moon, tied to Candlemas on February 2 (although this could
also apply to last month's full Moon, which was closer to Candlemas).
Many lunar and lunisolar calendars start the months on the new Moon and the full Moon is
the middle of the month. Since twelve lunar cycles are about 11 days shorter than a solar
year, lunisolar calendars add an occasional leap month to keep the calendar in sync with
the seasons. The Hebrew calendar will have two months of Adar this year. This full Moon
will be in the middle of Adar I, the first of two Adars. The 14th of Adar (just before the full
Moon) is the Jewish Holiday Purim, but in years with two Adars the main holiday is
celebrated in the second Adar (Adar II) and this full Moon corresponds with little or minor
Purim (Purim Katan).
In the Chinese calendar this full Moon is in the middle of the first month of the year of the
Dragon, and corresponds with the Lantern Festival, the traditional end of the Chinese New
Year celebrations held on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese Calendar.
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 2/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
In the Purnimanta tradition that ends the months on the full Moon day, this full Moon is
Magha Purnima or Māgha Pūjā, the last day of the month of Magha. In the Hindu and
Buddhist calendars, Magha is the month when the full Moon is in the lunar mansion that
contains the star we call Regulus. For Hindus, Magha is a month for austerity, performing
acts of charity, and ritual bathing in a sacred river. In Sri Lanka, this full Moon is called
Navam Poya and celebrations include Gangarama Navam, a procession of approximately
5,000 people and many elephants.
In the Islamic calendar this Moon is near the middle of Shaʿbān, the eighth month in the
year and the month before Ramadan. Muslims celebrate the 15th day of Sha'ban as Shab-
e-Barat or Bara'at Night. Shia Muslims also celebrate this as Mid-Sha'ban.
As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the
full Moon.
As for other celestial events between now and the full Moon after next (with specific times
and angles based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC): As winter
ends and spring begins, the daily periods of sunlight continue to lengthen, changing at
their fastest around the equinox on March 19, 2024. On Saturday, February 24 (the day of
the full Moon), morning twilight will begin at 5:50 AM, sunrise will be at 6:48 AM, solar
noon will be at 12:22 PM when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 41.7 degrees,
sunset will be at 5:55 PM, and evening twilight will end at 6:53 PM. Daylight Savings Time
starts on the second Sunday in March for much of the USA. On the day before this change,
Saturday, March 9, morning twilight will begin at 5:30 AM EST, sunrise will be at 6:28 AM,
solar noon will be at 12:19 PM when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 47.0
degrees, sunset will be at 6:10 PM, and evening twilight will end at 7:07 PM. On Sunday,
March 10 (the first day of Daylight Savings Time), morning twilight will begin at 6:29 AM
EDT, sunrise will be at 7:26 AM, solar noon will be at 1:18 PM when the Sun will reach its
maximum altitude of 47.4 degrees, sunset will be at 7:11 PM, and evening twilight will end
at 8:08 PM. The vernal or spring equinox, the astronomical end of winter and start of
spring, will be on Tuesday, March 19, at 11:06 PM EDT. On this day morning twilight will
begin at 6:15 AM, sunrise will be at 7:12 AM, solar noon will be at 1:16 PM when the Sun will
reach its maximum altitude of 51.0 degrees, sunset will be at 7:20 PM, and evening twilight
will end at 8:17 PM. By Monday, March 25 (the day of the full Moon after next), morning
twilight will begin at 6:05 AM, sunrise will be at 7:03 AM, solar noon will be at 1:14 PM
when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 53.3 degrees, sunset will be at 7:25 PM,
and evening twilight will end at 8:24 PM.
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 3/12
Evening Sky Highlights
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
On the evening of Saturday, February 24 (the evening of the day of the full Moon), as
evening twilight ends (at 6:53 PM EST), the rising Moon will be 7 degrees above the
eastern horizon. The only planet visible will be Jupiter at 49 degrees above the west-
southwestern horizon. The bright object appearing closest to overhead will be Capella, the
brightest star in the constellation Auriga the charioteer, at 82 degrees above the north-
northeastern horizon. Although we see Capella as a single star (the 6th brightest in our
night sky), it is actually four stars (two pairs of stars orbiting each other). Capella is about
43 lightyears from us.
Also high in the sky will be the constellation Orion, easily identifiable because of the three
stars that form Orion's Belt. As evening twilight ends during this time of year we in the
Northern Hemisphere can see many bright stars scattered from the south-southeast
towards the northwest. We see more stars in this direction because we are looking towards
the nearby stars in the Local Arm of our home galaxy (also called the Orion Arm, Orion-
Cygnus Arm, or Orion Bridge). This arm is about 3,500 lightyears across and 10,000
lightyears long. Some of the bright stars we see from this arm are the three stars of Orion's
Belt as well as Rigel (860 lightyears from Earth), Betelgeuse (548 lightyears), Polaris
(about 400 lightyears), and Deneb (about 2,600 lightyears).
Facing towards the south from the northern hemisphere, to the upper left of Orion's Belt is
the bright star Betelgeuse (be careful not to say this name three times). About the same
distance to the lower right is the bright star Rigel. Orion's belt appears to point down and
to the left about 7 belt lengths to the bright star Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky.
Below Sirius is the bright star Adara. To the upper right of the Orion's Belt (at about the
same distance as Sirius) is the bright star Aldebaran. Nearly overhead is the bright star
Capella. To the left (east) of Betelgeuse is the bright star Procyon. The two stars above
Procyon are Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of the constellation Gemini (Pollux is the
brighter of the two). The bright star Regulus appears farther to the left (east) of Pollux
near the eastern horizon. Very few places on the East Coast are dark enough to see the
Milky Way (our home galaxy), but if you could see it, it would appear to stretch overhead
from the southeast to the northwest. Since we are seeing our galaxy from the inside, the
combined light from its 100 to 400 billion stars makes it appear as a milky band
surrounding the Earth.
As this lunar cycle progresses, Jupiter and the background of stars will appear to shift
westward each evening (as the Earth moves around the Sun). Despite the cold weather,
these still should be good evenings for Jupiter viewing. With clear skies and a telescope
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 4/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
you should be able to see Jupiter's four bright moons, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io,
noticeably shifting positions in the course of an evening. Viewing Jupiter will gradually
become more difficult as it shifts towards the western horizon. Jupiter was at its highest as
evening twilight ends in January and will no longer be visible as evening twilight ends by
late April. The planet Mercury will be above the western horizon after March 12 (but may
be visible before evening twilight ends for a few evenings before this). The waxing
crescent Moon will appear near Jupiter on March 13, Pollux on March 18, and Regulus on
March 21. Mercury will be at its highest above the western horizon as evening twilight ends
(6.5 degrees) on March 24.
By the evening of Monday, March 25 (the evening of the day of the full Moon after next), as
evening twilight ends (at 8:24 PM EDT), the rising Moon will be 4 degrees above the
eastern horizon. The bright planet Jupiter will be 26 degrees above the western horizon
and the planet Mercury will be to the lower right of Jupiter at 6 degrees above the horizon.
The bright object appearing closest to overhead will be Pollux at 79 degrees above the
south-southeastern horizon. Pollux is the 17th brightest star in our night sky and the
brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini the twins. Pollux is an orange tinted
star about 34 lightyears from Earth. It is not quite twice the mass of our Sun but about 9
times the diameter and 33 times the brightness.
Morning Sky Highlights
On the morning of Saturday, February 24 (the morning of the day of the full Moon), as
morning twilight begins (at 5:50 AM EST), the setting full Moon will be 14 degrees above
the western horizon with the bright star Regulus 4.5 degrees to the lower right. Bright
Venus and the much fainter Mars will appear near each other just 2 degrees above the
east-southeastern horizon. The bright object appearing closest to overhead will be the star
Vega at 59 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon. Vega is the brightest star in the
constellation Lyra the lyre and is one of the three bright stars in the "Summer Triangle"
along with Deneb and Altair. Vega is the 5th brightest star in our night sky, about 25 light-
years from Earth, twice the mass of our Sun, and shines 40 times brighter than our Sun.
As this lunar cycle progresses, the background of stars will appear to shift westward each
evening, while Mars and Venus hover low on the east-southeastern horizon, Mars drifting
slightly higher and Venus shifting to the lower left. The waning Moon will pass by Spica on
February 28 and Antares on March 3. March 2 will be the last morning Venus will be above
the horizon as morning twilight begins, although it will be bright enough to remain visible
in the glow of dawn as it rises after twilight begins. On March 8, rising 7 minutes after
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 5/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
morning twilight begins on the east-southeastern horizon, the waning crescent Moon will
form a triangle with Venus and Mars.
By the morning of Monday, March 25 (the morning of the day of the full Moon after next),
as morning twilight begins (at 6:05 AM EDT), the setting full Moon will be 12 degrees
above the west-southwestern horizon. The planet Mars, emerging from the far side of the
Sun as seen from Earth, will be 3 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon. The bright
object appearing closest to overhead will still be the star Vega at 73 degrees above the
eastern horizon. .
Detailed Daily Guide
Here for your reference is a day-by-day listing of celestial events between now and the full
Moon after next. The times and angles are based on the location of NASA Headquarters in
Washington, DC, and some of these details may differ for where you are (I use parentheses
to indicate times specific to the DC area).
Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, February 20 to 21, 2024, the bright star Pollux
(the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini the Twins) will appear near the
waxing gibbous Moon. Pollux will be less than 2 degrees to the upper left as evening
twilight ends (at 6:49 PM EST). When the Moon reaches its highest in the sky (at 9:56 PM)
Pollux will be 2 degrees above the Moon. As Pollux sets on the northwestern horizon (at
5:35 AM) it will be 5 degrees to the right of the Moon,
Wednesday morning, February 21, 2024, will be the morning when the planets Venus and
Mars appear nearest each other, about 0.5 degrees apart, low on the east-southeastern
horizon. Venus will rise first (at 5:40 AM EST), Mars next (at 5:44 AM), and they will be
about 2 degrees above the horizon as morning twilight begins (at 5:54 AM).
Friday night into Saturday morning, February 23 to 24, 2024, the bright star Regulus will
appear near the full Moon. Regulus will be 3 degrees to the right as evening twilight ends
(at 6:52 PM EST) and will appear to shift clockwise around the Moon as the night
progresses. When the Moon reaches its highest in the sky (at 12:14 AM) Regulus will be 3
degrees to the lower right. Regulus will be 4.5 degrees to the lower right by the time
morning twilight begins (at 5:50 AM),
As mentioned above, the full Moon will be Saturday morning, February 24, 2024, at 7:31
AM EST. This will be on Sunday morning from Kamchatka and Fiji time eastward to the
International Dateline. The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 6/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
Thursday evening through Sunday. Since this is a little over a day before apogee (when the
Moon is at its farthest from the Earth for this orbit) this is a micromoon, the opposite of a
supermoon.
Sunday morning, February 25, 2024, at 10 AM EST, the Moon will be at apogee, its farthest
from the Earth for this orbit.
Wednesday afternoon, February 28, 2024, the planet Mercury will be passing on the far
side of the Sun as seen from the Earth, called superior conjunction. Because Mercury
orbits inside of the orbit of Earth it will be shifting from the morning sky to the evening sky
and will begin emerging from the glow of dusk on the western horizon after March 6
(depending upon viewing conditions).
Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, February 27 to 28, 2024, the bright star Spica
will be below the waning gibbous Moon. Spica will be 6 degrees below the Moon as Spica
rises above the east-southeastern horizon (at 9:38 PM EST). The Moon will reach its
highest for the night on Wednesday morning (at 2:52 AM) with Spica 3.5 degrees to the
lower left. By the time morning twilight begins (at 5:45 AM) Spica will be 2.5 degrees to
the left of the Moon.
Wednesday afternoon, February 28, 2024, the planet Saturn will be passing on the far side
of the Sun as seen from the Earth, called conjunction. Because Saturn orbits outside of the
orbit of Earth it will be shifting from the evening sky to the morning sky and will begin
emerging from the glow of dawn on the eastern horizon later in March (depending upon
viewing conditions).
By Wednesday night the Moon will have shifted to the other side of Spica. As the Moon
rises (at 10:06 PM EST) on the east-southeastern horizon Spica will be 7 degrees to the
upper right of the Moon, and the pair will separate as night progresses.
Saturday morning, March 2, 2024, will be the last morning the bright planet Venus will be
above the horizon as morning twilight begins (at 5:41 AM EST)
Sunday morning, March 3, 2024, the bright star Antares will appear quite close to the
waning half Moon. As Antares rises on the southeastern horizon (at 1:23 AM EST) it will
only be 0.75 degrees to the lower right of the edge of the Moon (1.25 degrees from the
center of the Moon). For the Washington, DC area, the Moon will just miss blocking Antares
from sight, with the pair at their closest around 3:15 AM. Binoculars or a telescope may
help in seeing the star just off the bright edge of the Moon. For much of the southeastern
USA, the Caribbean, and parts of Mexico and South America, the Moon will pass in front of
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 7/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
Antares, blocking it from view. From Chicago, Antares will emerge from behind the Moon
shortly after moonrise. See http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/bstar/0303zc2366.htm
for a map and tables of locations that will be able to see this occultation.
Sunday morning, March 3, 2024, the waning Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its
last quarter at 10:24 AM EST.
On Monday, March 4, 2024, don't forget to "march forth!"
Wednesday morning, March 6, 2024, will be the first morning that the planet Mercury will
be above the western horizon 30 minutes after sunset, a rough estimate of the earliest it
might start being visible in the glow of dusk.
Friday morning, March 8, 2024, the waning crescent Moon will form a triangle with Venus
and Mars low on the east-southeastern horizon. The Moon will rise last (at 5:45 AM EST) 7
minutes after morning twilight begins, with Venus 6 degrees to the upper left of the Moon
and Mars 5 degrees above the Moon. The glow of dawn may make it difficult to see the
Moon and Mars.
Saturday, March 9, 2024, will be the last day of Eastern Standard Time. Morning twilight
will begin at 5:30 AM EST, sunrise will be at 6:28 AM, sunset will be at 6:10 PM, and
evening twilight will end at 7:07 PM.
Sunday morning, March 10, 2024, don't forget to "spring forward" as we switch to daylight
savings time! Morning twilight will begin at 6:29 AM EDT, sunrise will be at 7:26 AM,
sunset will be at 7:11 PM, and evening twilight will end at 8:08 PM.
Sunday morning, March 10, 2024, at 3:05 AM EDT, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest
to the Earth for this orbit.
Sunday morning, March 10, 2024, at 5 AM EDT, will be the new Moon, when the Moon
passes between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible. Since perigee (when the
Moon is closest to the Earth for this orbit) will be just 2 hours before at 3:05 AM, this is a
supermoon. The term "Supermoon" was coined by the astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 to
refer to either a full or new Moon that occurs when the Moon is near its closest to the
Earth in its orbit. Most of the public interest is in full Supermoons because we can see
their greater size and brightness.
The day of or the day after the New Moon marks the start of the new month for most
lunisolar calendars. The second month of the Chinese Year of the Dragon starts on Sunday,
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 8/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
March 10, 2024. Sundown on Sunday, March 10, marks the start of Adar II in the Hebrew
calendar, the second of two Adars this year.
In the Islamic calendar the months start with the first sighting of the waxing crescent
Moon. Many Muslim communities now follow the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia,
which uses astronomical calculations to start the months in a more predictable way
(intended for civil and not religious purposes). Because of Ramadan's religious
significance, it is one of 4 months in the Islamic year where the start of the month is
updated in the Umm al-Qura Calendar based upon the actual sighting of the crescent
Moon. This calendar predicts the holy month of Ramadan will start with sunset on Sunday
evening, March 10, 2024, but the actual start may be adjusted based on observations of
the crescent Moon. Ramadan is honored as the month in which the Quran was revealed.
Observing this annual month of charitable acts, prayer, and fasting from dawn to sunset is
one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Monday evening, March 11, 2024, as evening twilight ends (at 8:09 PM EDT), the thin,
waxing crescent Moon will be 9 degrees above the western horizon. The Moon will set 55
minutes later (at 9:04 PM). For a few evenings the waxing crescent Moon will appear most
like an upward-facing bowl or a smile in the evening sky (for the Washington, DC area and
similar latitudes, at least). This is called a "Wet" or a "Cheshire" Moon. According to
Wikipedia, the term "Wet Moon" originates from Hawaiian mythology, when the Moon
appears like a bowl that could fill up with water. The time of year when this occurs as
viewed from the latitudes of the Hawaiian islands roughly corresponds with Kaelo the
Water Bearer in Hawaiian astrology. As the year passes into summer, the crescent shape
tilts, pouring out the water and causing the summer rains. The term "Cheshire Moon" is a
reference to the smile of the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland.
Tuesday evening, March 12, 2024, will be the first evening the planet Mercury will be
above the western horizon as evening twilight ends.
Wednesday, evening, March 13, 2024, the bright planet Jupiter will appear 3 degrees to the
lower left of the waxing crescent Moon. The Moon will be 36 degrees above the western
horizon as evening twilight ends (at 8:11 PM EDT). Jupiter will set first on the west-
northwestern horizon 3 hours later (at 11:19 PM).
Thursday evening, March 14, 2024, the Pleiades star cluster will appear above the waxing
crescent Moon. The Pleiades will be about 2.5 degrees above the Moon as evening twilight
ends (at 8:12 PM EDT) and they will shift closer to the Moon until the Moon sets on the
west-northwestern horizon Friday morning (at 12:50 AM).
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 9/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
Just after midnight Sunday morning, March 17, 2024, the Moon will appear half-full as it
reaches its first quarter at 12:11 AM EDT.
Monday morning, March 18, 2024, will be the first morning that the planet Saturn will be
above the eastern horizon 30 minutes before sunrise. This is a rough estimate of when it
may start being visible in the glow of dawn, although it will be faint enough that you will
likely need to wait until later in March, closer to when it will start rising before morning
twilight begins.
Monday evening into Tuesday morning, March 18 to 19, 2024, the bright star Pollux (the
brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini the twins) will appear near the waxing
gibbous Moon. Pollux will be 3.5 degrees to the left as evening twilight ends (at 8:16 PM
EDT) and will shift clockwise around the Moon until the Moon sets on the northwestern
horizon (at 4:42 AM) when it will be 2 degrees to the upper right.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 11:06 PM EDT, will be the vernal equinox, the astronomical end
of winter and start of spring. For a location on the equator in the ocean north of Western
New Guinea the Sun will pass directly overhead as it shifts from the Southern Hemisphere
to the Northern hemisphere.
Thursday morning, March 21, 2024, if you have a very clear view of the horizon about
halfway between east and east-southeast, you might be able to see the planet Saturn less
than a degree to the lower left of the bright planet Venus. Because of the glow of dawn
this will be hard to see. Venus will shine brighter than any star, but Saturn will rise last (at
6:32 AM), 21 minutes after morning twilight begins (at 6:11 AM EDT), and will be only a little
brighter than the star Pollux, the 17th brightest star in our night sky. You may need
binoculars to see the pair, but make sure you stop looking well before sunrise. The next
morning (Friday, March 22) Venus will have shifted to about the same separation to the left
of Saturn, rising together (at 6:29 AM) 19 minutes after morning twilight begins (at 6:10
AM).
Thursday evening into Friday morning, March 21 to 22, 2024, the bright star Regulus will
appear near the waxing gibbous Moon. As evening twilight ends (at 8:19 PM EDT) Regulus
will be 5 degrees to the lower right of the Moon. Regulus will gradually shift closer to the
Moon, initially swinging towards the left (appearing 4 degrees below and a little to the left)
as the Moon reaches its highest (at 11:13 PM). At about 2:30 AM (when Regulus will be 3
degrees to the lower left) Regulus will switch and start swinging towards the right. As
Regulus sets (at 5:58 AM) it will be 2.5 degrees below the Moon, with morning twilight
beginning 12 minutes later (at 6:10 AM) and the Moon setting 3 minutes after that (at 6:13
AM).
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 10/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
Saturday night, March 23, 2024, at 11:46 AM EDT, the Moon will be at apogee, its farthest
from the Earth for this orbit.
Sunday evening, March 24, 2024, at 5:59 PM EDT, will be when the planet Mercury
reaches its greatest angular separation from the Sun as seen from the Earth for this
apparition (called greatest elongation). This will be the evening when the planet Mercury
will appear highest above the western horizon (6.5 degrees) as evening twilight ends (at
8:22 PM). The full Moon after next will be on Monday morning, March 25, 2024, appearing
opposite the Sun at 3 AM EDT. This will be on Sunday evening from Alaska Time westward
to the International Date Line. Around this time the Moon will pass through the partial
shadow of the Earth (called a penumbral lunar eclipse), but the slight dimming of the Moon
will be difficult to notice. Since this full Moon is a little over a day after apogee (when the
Moon is at its farthest from the Earth in its orbit) some consider this a micromoon, the
opposite of a supermoon. The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from
Saturday evening through Tuesday morning.
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 11/12
07/03/2024, 01:14 NASA Daily Skywatching Guide - NASA Science
The National Aeronautics and Space Home The Universe
Administration News & Events Science
Multimedia Aeronautics
NASA explores the unknown in air and space,
innovates for the benefit of humanity, and NASA+ LIVE Technology
inspires the world through discovery.
Missions Learning Resources
About NASA's Mission Humans in Space About NASA
Join Us Earth & Climate NASA en Español
The Solar System
Follow NASA
Sitemap For Media Privacy Policy FOIA
No FEAR Act Office of the IG Budget & Annual Reports
More NASA Social
Accounts Agency Financial Reports Contact NASA Accessibility
NASA Newsletters
Page Last Updated: 2 weeks ago Page Editor: SMD Content Editors
Responsible NASA Official for Science: Dana Bolles
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/#detailed-daily-guide 12/12
