Tonight’s gibbous moon appears high in the southeastern sky after sunset. The moon is on the western end of the zodiacal constellation Leo. For the next two nights the moon is near Regulus, the principal star in Leo.

The moon moves through Leo and into the zodiacal constellation Virgo mid-week. The moon is full in Virgo on Tuesday night. We call this full moon the Mud Moon. There is no need to explain too deeply why the name. This is the first full moon of spring and the ground under our feet is often wet.

Planets

Jupiter continues to dominate our evening sky. Other than the moon, Jupiter is the brightest celestial object in our night sky. Jupiter has a companion. It is near the bright star Aldebaran, the principal star in the zodiacal constellation Taurus. For those who have been watching Jupiter through the winter, the planet has been inching slowly towards the bright orange star. But that closeness will end. Jupiter will continue on its slow journey and appear to pass Aldebaran in an eastward trek. The two celestial objects are parting company.

Jupiter takes 12 years to orbit the solar system. For us, the planet appears to move through the zodiac, one constellation at a time. By next winter, Jupiter will be in the zodiacal constellation Gemini.

Saturn, the ringed-planet, appears in the zodiacal constellation Libra and it rises in the east well before midnight. The bright planet will be visited by the moon on the evenings of Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29.