March 2017 full moon is the 3rd of 3 full moons between the December solstice and March equinox. Harbinger of spring for Northern Hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere's Harvest Moon.
The moon will spend several days traversing the large constellation Leo the Lion. Notice our moon, and Leo's stars, and contemplate the Earth and moon's long and varied history.
From the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean - during the evening hours tonight - you can watch the star Aldebaran disappear behind the moon's dark edge, then reappear on its illuminated side.
You'll notice Venus near the moon first, because it's so dazzlingly bright. But the "star" closer to Wednesday's moon is Mars. Plus, Uranus and Mars are in the same binocular field.
The annular eclipse of the sun on February 26, 2017 takes place in the Southern Hemisphere, along a very narrow path that runs through South America and Africa.
If you see them, notice the colors of Saturn and Antares. Saturn is golden, and the star, Antares, is reddish. Plus you might notice Antares twinkling, while Saturn shines steadily!
Bruce McClure served as lead writer for EarthSky's popular Tonight pages from 2004 to 2021, when he opted for a much-deserved retirement. You can still find many articles at EarthSky.org that were originally written by Bruce, and which the EarthSky editors still update regularly. Bruce is a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. He also wrote and hosted public astronomy programs and planetarium programs in and around his home in upstate New York. Bruce he loves cycles of all kinds! You can still find many articles at EarthSky with Bruce's name on them, exploring the various, intricate cycles of the sky.