While spring can still be a bit tricky when it comes to cloud cover, there will still be some good events to look at in the night sky across Upstate New York. Nights become a bit warmer along with later sunset, meaning you have to stay up a bit later to view the stars, but, the weather will become increasingly more comfortable.

To start off the month, on March 7, you will be able to see one of the best views of the planet Mercury in our sky. The planet will be visible on the western horizon with Venus within an hour of sunset. Make sure to get into a clear spot where you can look low in the sky.

On March 9, daylight saving time begins. This pushes our sunsets back an hour. Great for daytime activities, but this means you need to stay up just a little bit longer to look at the night sky.

On March 14, the full moon for March will take place. This moon is called the "worm moon." The name is given for the earthworms that begin to emerge in the early spring weather.

During this full moon, North America will be able to view a total lunar eclipse. This eclipse will be fully visible across upstate as long as weather cooperates.

A lunar eclipse takes place when the moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. This is much more common than solar eclipses like we saw last year due to the size of the Earth’s shadow.

Also known as a "blood moon," the moon will appear red as it passes into the umbra, or direct shadow, of the Earth.

 

Timings for this event across upstate can be found below:

Eclipse starts: 11:57 p.m., March 13

Partial eclipse begins: 1:09 a.m., March 14

Total eclipse begins: 2:26 a.m.

Maximum eclipse: 2:58 a.m.

Total eclipse ends: 3:31 a.m.

Partial eclipse ends 4:47 a.m.

Eclipse ends: 6 a.m.

If you get any pictures of this event, make sure to send them in on the Spectrum News App to possibly be featured on air.

Weather can be a bit of a concern still this time of the year with clouds getting in the way. Historical odds of cloudy conditions have been added to all of the events. Cloud forecasts can quickly change so make sure to look constantly at the forecast leading up to any event.

Speaking of the forecast, the start of March is off to a typical start with only a few windows of clearer weather. Sunday night and then on March 7, we could see some clearer skies across the state for night sky viewing.