8 Must-See March Constellations & Their Brightest Stars
Are you ready for a challenge? The best constellations in March may not be the easiest to spot, but with a little effort, you can find them all. For extra help, try the free Star Walk 2 app. With just three taps, you can locate any celestial object. Read on to learn which constellations to look for in March, the best times to see them, and more.
Contents
- March night sky map
- How to find constellations in the night sky?
- Constellations visible in March: bottom line
March night sky map
Before you start, look at this map of the night sky for March.
Below is a map of the night sky as seen from mid-northern latitudes in mid-March 2025 at around 9 p.m. local time. The center of the map shows the sky directly overhead, and the circle along the edge is the horizon. The sky looks similar at 10:00 p.m. at the beginning of March and at 8:00 p.m. at the end.
If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, here is a map for mid-southern latitudes in mid-March 2025, also at about 9 p.m. local time. The same details apply.
Want to learn more about events in the night sky for March 2025? Check out our full guide on celestial events for this month.
Constellations best seen in March
March evenings offer a great chance to see constellations that are often overlooked at other times of the year.
Among all the constellations, these 8 are easiest to spot around 9 p.m. local time in March:
- Cancer, Canis Minor, Carina, Lynx, Puppis, Pyxis, Vela, and Volans.
Note that some of the constellations listed may not be visible from your location. Later in the article, we'll give the latitudes from which they are visible.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, look above the southern horizon to find these constellations. In the Southern Hemisphere, face north to spot them.
Some constellations are circumpolar, meaning they remain visible above the horizon all year round. In the Northern Hemisphere, circumpolar constellations like Ursa Major and Cassiopeia are always found in the northern sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, constellations such as Centaurus and Crux are permanently visible in the southern sky.
Sometimes, simple directions like "look north" are not clear enough. The free Star Walk 2 app makes it easy. It shows you an interactive sky map for your location and tells you exactly where each constellation is.
(Plus, the app has very cool graphics.)
Now, let’s look at each constellation in more detail. We have rated them with stars:
- ☆☆☆ means the constellation is very bright and easy to see.
- ☆☆ means that the constellation is moderately bright and can be seen with some effort.
- ☆ means you might need the app to help you find it.
Get ready for a fun journey under the night sky!
Cancer
- Brightness: ☆
- Visible from: 90°N and 60°S
- Brightest stars: Altarf (mag 3.5)
- Best deep-sky object: The Beehive Cluster (mag 3.7), M67 (mag 6.1)
Cancer is one of the 12 zodiac constellations. Its name is Latin for "crab," representing the giant crab that attacked Heracles while he fought the many-headed Lernaean Hydra. And yes, in the Star Walk 2 app, it does look more like a giant lobster! There’s no special reason behind it — since constellation shapes aren't officially standardized, we decided to spice things up a bit.
This constellation forms a Y-shaped pattern made of five stars, with Altarf (mag 3.5) as its brightest member. Given its faintness, the best time to observe Cancer is around New Moon — which falls on March 29, 2025.
While Cancer is the dimmest zodiac constellation, it boasts one of the brightest open star clusters in the sky — the Beehive Cluster (M44). It holds around 1,000 stars and appears as a small, hazy patch to the naked eye under dark skies.
Canis Minor
- Brightness: ☆☆
- Visible from: 85°N and 75°S
- Brightest star: Procyon (mag 0.3)
- Best deep-sky object: M41 (mag 4.6)
Canis Minor is a small but notable constellation in the northern sky. Its Latin name means “the smaller dog” or “lesser dog.” It’s home to Procyon (Alpha Canis Minoris), the 8th-brightest star in the entire sky. Procyon is also one of the six stars forming the well-known Winter Circle asterism.
This "Little Dog" is the companion constellation to Canis Major, the "Greater Dog," which houses Sirius — the brightest star in the sky. Sirius is often called the Dog Star, while Procyon is the Little Dog Star.
Carina
- Brightness: ☆☆☆
- Visible from: 20°N and 90°S
- Brightest stars: Canopus (mag -0.7)
- Best deep-sky objects: Eta Carinae Nebula (mag 4.5), NGC 2808 (mag 6.2)
Carina is a southern constellation, and the brightest remnant of the legendary Argo Navis, an obsolete constellation representing the mythological ship of Jason and the Argonauts. In the 18th century, the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille split Argo Navis into three constellations: Puppis (the stern), Carina (the keel), and Vela (the sails).
Carina contains Canopus (mag -0.7), the second-brightest star in the sky after Sirius. It is also home to the Eta Carinae Nebula, a vast star-forming region housing one of the most massive stars ever found.
Lynx
- Brightness: ☆
- Visible from: 90°N and 35°S
- Brightest stars: Alpha Lyncis (mag 3.1)
- Best deep-sky object: NGC 2419 (mag 9.1)
Lynx is a faint northern constellation named not for its shape, but because you need lynx-like eyesight to see it. Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius introduced it in the 17th century to fill the gap between Ursa Major and Auriga.
Its brightest star, Alpha Lyncis (mag 3.1), stands out among its faint zigzagging pattern. The best time to see it is in February and March. Lynx also hosts NGC 2419, the “Intergalactic Wanderer,” a globular cluster so distant it was once thought to drift outside the Milky Way.
Puppis
- Brightness: ☆☆
- Visible from: 40°N and 90°S
- Brightest stars: Naos (mag 2.2)
- Best deep-sky objects: M46 (mag 6.1), M47 (mag 4.4), M93 (mag 6.2)
Puppis is a southern constellation that was also once part of a much larger constellation, Argo Navis. Puppis is its largest part and the 20th largest in the sky, so you can imagine just how much territory Argo once occupied.
Its brightest star, Naos (mag 2.2), is a scorching blue supergiant over 1,000 light-years away. Puppis also boasts several stunning open star clusters, including M46, M47, and M93, best seen in February and March.
Pyxis
- Brightness: ☆
- Visible from: 50°N and 90°S
- Brightest stars: Alpha Pyxidis (mag 3.7)
- Best deep-sky object: NGC 2818 (mag 8.2)
Pyxis is a small, faint southern constellation whose name means "the mariner's compass" in Latin. It is located close to the stars that formed the old constellation Argo Navis.
Its brightest star, Alpha Pyxidis (mag 3.7), is a blue giant about 850 light-years away. The constellation also hosts NGC 2818, one of the very few planetary nebulae in our galaxy located within an open star cluster.
Vela
- Brightness: ☆☆
- Visible from: 30°N and 90°S
- Brightest stars: Gamma Velorum (mag 1.7)
- Best deep-sky objects: Vela Supernova Remnant (mag 12), NGC 3132 (mag 8.2)
Vela, meaning "the sails" in Latin, is another part of the massive Argo Navis. Its brightest star, Gamma Velorum, is a spectacular Wolf-Rayet star.WR stars are extremely massive and are among the hottest stars in the universe.
Vela also contains the Vela Supernova Remnant, the remains of a star that exploded about 11,000 years ago — one of the closest known supernovae to Earth!
Volans
- Brightness: ☆
- Visible from: 10°N and 90°S
- Brightest stars: Beta Volantis (mag 3.8)
- Best deep-sky object: NGC 2442 (mag 10.4)
Volans, meaning "the flying fish," is a small but intriguing southern constellation. It was introduced in the 16th-century by Dutch navigators, inspired by real flying fish that leap out of the ocean to escape predators.
Its brightest star, Beta Volantis (mag 3.8), is a yellow giant located about 108 light-years away. The constellation also features NGC 2442, a distorted spiral galaxy shaped by past gravitational interactions.
How to find constellations in the night sky?
You don’t need to be an expert to find even the faintest constellations — just get an astronomy app! One of the best ones is the free Star Walk 2 app. Just launch the app and point your device at the sky — the app will show you an interactive sky map for your location. Star Walk 2 also features 3D models of constellations that allow you to explore how the constellations truly look in space.
If the skies are clear and light pollution is not an issue, you can find some of the most prominent constellations without someone’s help. Check out our infographic “Famous Constellations Everyone Can Find” and try to locate the 7 most prominent constellations by yourself!
Constellations visible in March: bottom line
March is a great time to see constellations that are not always easy to spot. With a little effort, you can find them all. To make it even easier, use the free Star Walk 2 app to locate any constellation quickly. Enjoy your stargazing!
What else to see in the sky in March 2025?
