@arfonzo.eth

Great night for checking out Jupiter and Venus tonight in UK and Europe if the skies are clear for you! You can likely even see Jupiter with a moon or two using just binoculars if you haven't got a scope, tested that last week here. ---- 🔭 Tonight's Sky - Thursday 19 March 2026 Conditions (Evening Forecast 7-11 PM) ☁️ Clouds: 0% | 🌙 Moon: New (dark sky) | 👁️ Visibility: Good (13-20 km) Visible Tonight Jupiter • When: 7 PM - midnight • Where: High SSW → SW (alt ~60°→30°, az ~200°→240°) • Eyepiece: 20mm (15x) • What You'll See: 4 moons crisp, 2 cloud bands if steady Venus + young Moon • When: ~7:15-7:45 PM • Where: Low W (alt ~8°, az ~275°) • Eyepiece: 20mm (15x) • What You'll See: Thin crescent phase on Venus, hairline crescent Moon alongside Orion M42 • When: 7-9 PM • Where: SW (alt ~30°→20°, az ~210°→220°) • Eyepiece: 32mm (9.4x) • What You'll See: Fuzzy patch, 4 trapezium stars, no colour Highlights • New moon = pristine dark sky — best conditions for deep sky this month • Venus + 1-day-old crescent Moon side by side low in the west after sunset — a beautiful pairing, though brief (window ~30 min) • Jupiter dominates the evening, well placed for extended viewing with the 76mm aperture Quick Session Plan 19:15 - Venus & crescent Moon @ Low W - 20mm - Thin crescent phases, fleeting opportunity before they set 19:45 - Jupiter @ High SSW - 20mm - 4 Galilean moons, scan for cloud bands 20:15 - Orion M42 @ SW - 32mm - Fuzzy nebula glow, trapezium stars 20:45 - Jupiter revisit @ SSW - 12mm (25x) - Push detail on bands if air is steady ─── Conditions: Excellent — clear skies, no moonlight, good visibility. One of the best nights of the month for observing.

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