The Moon has begun to "attack" the stars: an exciting drama unfolds in the sky.

March will be an unusual month: the Moon will obscure two bright stars, the planet Mercury, and the legendary star cluster Pleiades, according to the Moscow Planetarium. These are typically quite rare events, and it's astonishing how closely they occur together. Astrologers believe this marks a turning point on a cosmic scale. Some of this spectacle will be visible in Russia.

FIRST, MERCURY DISAPPEARS

The first "victim" of the Moon will be the planet Mercury: the Moon will cover it from Earth on March 1 at 7 AM Moscow time, as stated by the Moscow Planetarium. Russians will not witness this event; the show will be for the residents of the Pacific islands.

Since all planets move in the same plane, and the Moon's orbit is adjacent to it, the Moon travels across the sky along the same Zodiac as the planets. However, the Moon's path (which is indeed called the "lunar path") is slightly tilted relative to the Zodiac, meaning that when the Moon reaches a planet, it does not always obscure it with its disc. In fact, this is a very rare occurrence.

For Mercury, this is especially true: most of the time, this elusive planet is not visible, hidden near the Sun. Early March is the best time to observe it in the rays of the evening twilight. And that’s when the Moon sneaks up.

Most of the time, Mercury is barely discernible against the backdrop of the neighboring Sun.

Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS.

TWO STARS AT ONCE

But even more astonishing events await Earthlings on March 16 and 20. First, the Moon (on March 16 at 11 PM) will obscure the bright star Spica. Soon after (on March 20 at 8 PM), it will also cover Antares.

Spica, or Ear of Grain, is the main star in the Virgo constellation. Antares, or Anti-Mars, reigns in Scorpio. Both stars are in the Zodiac, so the Moon can obscure them, but consecutively?

Although the timing would allow for observing both phenomena from Russia, the proper projection will not be from us but from Africa and Australia. The Moon is close to Earth, and from different points on our planet, it is seen from slightly different angles. A Russian observer will see that the luminary will pass near the stars without covering them.

A MUST-SEE EVENT

However, we will experience the main event: the Moon's "attack" on the Pleiades.

The Pleiades is a bright star cluster in Taurus. It is easily visible to the naked eye as a "starry cloud," and even with a simple binocular, an observer can astonishingly discover... a miniature dipper of the Great Bear. A play of nature.

The Pleiades is a bright star cluster in Taurus.

Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS.

All this will happen on March 5 at 4 PM Moscow time. It’s not the best time for Moscow itself, as it will be too bright, but east of the Urals, it will be perfect. The Moon will approach the Pleiades, obscure them, and when it gets dark in Moscow, it will already reveal them again. Muscovites will see the Pleiades to the right of the Moon's disc. Great photos are guaranteed! And the Moon's phase is favorable, only 40%, so it won’t wash out the stars too much.

WHAT THE STARS PROMISE

This combination of events is certainly not coincidental. Astrologers have their own interpretations.

The obscurations are interpreted unambiguously: the Moon weakens one celestial body or another. But with such a rich set of events, deciphering the signals from the Heavens becomes tricky.

Mercury symbolizes the speed of thought and action, resourcefulness. And the Moon seems to say, "Be patient, wait. Better to see how it all turns out later."

Spica (Ear of Grain) is a symbol of harvest and prosperity. After all, the Sun is positioned near Spica when the harvest is gathered. Here, perhaps, the Moon hints at something concerning our wallets. Or maybe just a warning about a summer drought? Meanwhile, the covering of Antares, "the substitute for Mars," associated with conflicts, is certainly a good sign.

The Pleiades do not have a clear astrological significance. But in Russian tradition, the Pleiades are often referred to as the "Little Bear" (due to their visual similarity), which means that the Pleiades, like the Big Dipper, are responsible for the universe as a whole. However, this is more about not "weakening the universe," whatever that means, but rather a good omen. The Moon is waxing! This means it will add strength to all of us.

Let’s enjoy the stars and believe in the best.