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

Tuesday 17th March 2026

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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Posted on 11 March 2026 by Derek

Jupiter’s retrograde from 11 November 2025 to 11 March 2026 – Why it happens?
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Here an explained in simple;
– Earth moves around the Sun faster than Jupiter.
– When Earth undertakes Jupiter, our view makes Jupiter seem to go backward direction.
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This’s like a trick of perspective;
– Another car next to you slows down.
– For a moment, it looks like that car is moving backwards, even though it’s still going forward.
– That’s what happens with Jupiter in the sky.
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Posted on 10 March 2026 by Derek

2026 Apogee Dates
(Moon Furthest from Earth)

2026 Perigee Dates
(Moon Closest to Earth)

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Posted on 7 March 2026 by Derek

Venus is the brighter guide, shining at around magnitude -3.9, so it becomes visible first as the sky deepens.
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Saturn around magnitude +0.9, sits nearby, usually within a few degrees, appearing as a steady, pale point.
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The two planets share the same region of sky in Aquarius, creating a compact pairing low in the west after sunset.
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Posted on 7 March 2026 by Derek

Mercury does reach inferior solar conjunction today, when it passes directly between the Sun and Earth.
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This marks the end of its evening visibility and the start of its transition into the morning sky.
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After 7 March, Mercury moves into the dawn sky, but remains very low and difficult to see from the United Kingdom for much of the month.
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Posted on 6 March 2026 by Derek

Porrima is moving toward the Sun at 12 miles per second!
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The Moon, Spica, and Porrima form a gentle triangle in the early‑morning sky, all gathered within the constellation Virgo, helping beginners trace Virgo’s shape.
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Posted on 4 March 2026 by Derek

Spot Deneb very low on the northern horizon this week ~ the sky will look empty where you’d normally expect Cygnus in summer.
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Posted on 2 March 2026 by Derek

Full Moon tonight
This below photo was taken by Derek Rowley during the total lunar eclipse on 28th September 2015, as seen from the United Kingdom.

Unfortunately for the UK Observers
The total lunar eclipse of Tuesday 2nd thru Wednesday 3rd March 2026 is a major event globally, but the United Kingdom is outside the visibility zone.
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Where the eclipse is visible?
The regions that can see it are well established from multiple astronomical sources across several continents, observers will see the Moon turn red during totality:
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North America
– visible in the early morning hours.
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Central America
– similar morning visibility
– included in broader North American coverage.
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South America (western side)
– visible near moonset in the early morning.
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Asia (eastern regions)
– visible in the evening of Wednesday 3rd March.
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Australia
– visible in the evening of Wednesday 3rd March.
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Pacific Islands
– visible throughout the night in many locations.
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New Zealand
– visible after midnight into Thursday 4th March.
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For the UK Observers
Our next Partial Lunar Eclipse in the United Kingdom is Friday 28th August 2026 – read more.
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Posted on 1 March 2026 by Derek

The Moon sits very close to Regulus in an early morning on 2nd March, and the alignment is a good one for UK observers even though the occultation itself is not visible from United Kingdom.
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The lunar occultation of Regulus is visible only from a specific band across Asia. (Eastern Russia, Eastern China, Mongolia and Japan).
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