Derekscope – UK Astronomical highlights and a guide for binoculars, and telescope deaf owners, compiled by Derek Rowley

Wednesday 25th March 2026

Posted on 25 March 2026 by Derek

The Moon reaches its exact Last Quarter phase at 19:19 / 7.19pm this evening.
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Moonrise at 10:07am on 9th February, Transit at 19:10pm and moonset at 03:20am on Thursday 26th March.
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Posted on 24 March 2026 by Derek

Lunar X and Lunar V
Sunlight catches rims at lunar first quarter to create the bright V and X shapes.

Best viewing time in the UK
The phenomenon begins later in the day compared to the February event – all times are given in GMT.
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–…Today: Wednesday 25th March 2026
–…Start formation: 21:45 / 9.45pm (become visible)
–…Peak visibility: 23:45 / 11.45pm (fully formed as best contrast)
–…Fade disappearing: 01:45 / 1.45am (Thursday 26th February)
–…Visible: excellent (high in the sky in late evening.)
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The Moon repeats its cycle every 29½ days, so these effects happen every month, just on slightly different dates – see the complete full timetable for 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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Equipment
While sometimes visible with high-power binoculars, a telescope is recommended to see the fine detail of the crater rims forming the Lunar X and V.
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Posted on 22 March 2026 by Derek

The Moon will reach perigee, its closest point to Earth, at 11.39am today, sits in the constellation Taurus (The Bull).
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2026 Apogee Dates
(Moon Furthest from Earth)

2026 Perigee Dates
(Moon Closest to Earth)

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Posted on 21 March 2026 by Derek

Mercury re‑emerges into the eastern morning sky in mid‑March, gradually climbing in altitude before sunrise, but it can still be very difficult to see because of the Sun’s glare.
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Posted on 21 March 2026 by Derek

Astronomers were given a little extra treat over the Spring Equinox as the Northern Lights appeared off the Norfolk coast.
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Posted on 20 March 2026 by Derek

The pair becomes visible shortly after sunset, low in the western sky.
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Venus and the Moon come together in the evening sky tonight, forming a lovely evening conjunction.
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The Moon will be a very thin crescent, only one day old after the New Moon.
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Both will sit in the constellation Pisces (The Fishes).
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Posted on 20 March 2026 by Derek

Everyone on Earth gets almost exactly the same amount of daylight and darkness.
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The March equinox marks the start of spring in the northern half of the world.
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Posted on 19 March 2026 by Derek

A shadow transit occurs when a moon passes between the Sun and Jupiter, causing its shadow to fall on Jupiter’s cloud tops.
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Through a telescope, the shadow appears as a small, sharp black dot moving steadily across the planet’s bright surface.
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Posted on 17 March 2026 by Derek

Both Io and Callisto transit together across Jupiter ~ a beautiful and relatively uncommon double-moon event.
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Io transits Jupiter’s between 19:43pm and 22:01pm, meanwhile Jupiter’s Io is appearing on the Jupiter surface at 20:58pm till 23:13pm.
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Callisto starts to transits at 19:43pm (same time as Io at 19:43pm) till 23:38pm.

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Posted on 12 March 2026 by Derek

The Moon appears half-illuminated, with the left side 50% lit ~ it’s the final quarter of the lunar cycle, leading toward the New Moon on Thursday 19th March 2026.
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