The night sky in September offers a range of stunning events including spotting planets. Here’s a quick overview of what’s in store.
New Moon: The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the September 3 night sky. This is the best time to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters with no moonlight to interfere.
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation: Mercury, the smallest planet and the one closest to Earth, will reach the greatest western elongation of 18.1° from the Sun on September 5. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
Saturn at Opposition: The ringed planet will be at its closest to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun on September 8. It will remain at its brightest best today! This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn’s rings and a few of its brightest moons.
Full Moon, Supermoon: The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated on September 18. The early Native American tribes called it the Corn Moon or Harvest Moon, as this was the time of the corn harvest. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year. This is also the second of four supermoons this year. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
Neptune at Opposition: The giant blue planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun on September 20. It will be brighter than at any other time in the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Considering the distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot unless you are using a high-end telescope.
September Equinox: The September equinox will occur on September 22. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of Fall (autumnal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Spring (vernal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
