September begins with the moon among the stars of M35, the well-known cluster also known as NGC 2168, in Gemini. The moon is new on the evening of Sept. 6 (lunation 1221). Sept. 9, Venus is four degrees south of Luna, our satellite. Sept. 17 and 18, Saturn and Jupiter are four degrees south of the moon, respectively. The moon is full Sept. 20. Uranus is slightly over one degree away from the moon Sept. 24. Twenty-eight days after the beginning of September, a “moonth,” our Luna is again among the stars of M35.
Sept. 24, Mercury is 1.7 degrees south of Spica, the bright star in Virgo, aka Alpha Virginis. This will be a tough observation, but worth a try, as the planet will just barely become visible before disappearing below the horizon. Venus will be hovering just to the northeast. Mercury is again 1.7 degrees south of Spica Sept. 31, which seems odd, but it reflects the fact Mercury has rounded in its orbit and is now coming in front of the sun. Thus, it is in the same relative place as earlier, but closer to Earth.
Venus, on the evening of Sept. 4, is also 1.7 degrees from Spica, this time north of same. Sept. 9 the bright planet is four degrees south of the moon.
Mars is too close to the sun to view.
Jupiter is visible at sundown in the southeast. It’s hard to miss the giant planet, second in brightness to Venus. It rises during the late afternoon and crosses the sky until setting just before daybreak. Watch for the moon nearby Sept. 17.
Saturn rises in mid-afternoon, and becomes visible as the sun loses its power over the night. It can be seen as the paler yellow dot to the west of Jupiter. The moon glides by the Ringed Planet Sept. 16.
Uranus is near the moon Sept. 24 –1.4 degrees north.
Neptune rises in the east, following Saturn and Jupiter, around suppertime. The moon is in the frame Sept. 19.
The Zodiacal Light is visible in northern latitudes in the east before morning twilight for first two weeks of September.
The autumnal equinox occurs Sept. 20 around suppertime.
James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000, was national president for two terms, is now the editor of the Observer’s Handbook, and production manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal. The IAU named asteroid 1995 XC5 “(22421) Jamesedgar” in his honour and he was recently awarded a Fellowship of the RASC.
