In the Northern Hemisphere the fall season starts on September 22. With the seasonal change come different night sky objects and events to observe. A handful of constellations, a few planets, including a bright Jupiter, and some must see deep sky objects are all in store this coming September.
Positioning of objects may vary slightly depending on how high or low on the hemisphere the viewer is located.
Constellations and Stars to See in September
The Pegasus constellation, also known as the square, is visible high towards the eastern sky at around 9:00 pm EDT and is almost overhead by midnight. Also at around 9:00 pm EDT you can see the Lyra constellation up high in the northwest sky, which looks like a tiny skewed rectangle. What's most noticeable when looking at Lyra is the bright star just to the right of it called Vega.
The Triangulum constellation shines in the northeast sky around 10:00 pm EDT, with the Andromeda constellation to its top right, which connects to the Pegasus constellation by the star Alpheratz.
The Teapot constellation is near the southern horizon in September while the Big Dipper slips low in the northwestern sky. The Little Dipper is not far behind some 30 degrees to the left of it.
Planet Lineup for September
Mercury will still be seen in early September low in the western horizon in the evening near the twilight hours. Venus continues to shine in the morning eastern horizon and higher up in the sky lies Mars seen as an orange 'star'.
Saturn will have its rings edge on to Earth on September 4th. Unfortunately, since the planet will be behind the Sun starting in late August it won't be visible to observers on Earth.
Jupiter continues to shine all night in September, being the brightest object in the sky after the Moon and Venus. Uranus can also be seen all night but since it is so far from Earth, binoculars are needed in order to spot it.
Deep Sky Objects to Look for in September
Towards the northeastern sky, almost overhead, the Andromeda galaxy is visible as a fuzzy patch to the naked eye from a dark location. With binoculars or a telescope some galactic features become apparent and more defined. It is best located by first finding the Triangulum constellation then looking to the right and up.
The Double Cluster is a great sight for binoculars or a small telescope. It can be spotted near the Andromeda Galaxy closer to the northeastern section of sky.
What is said to be the most beautiful double star system in the sky, Albireo, consists of two stars colored sapphire and gold. It can be found by looking towards the northwest a few degrees south of Vega.
Moon Phases for September
The Full Moon will happen on September 4th at 12:03 am EDT, followed by a Last Quarter Moon on September 12th at 10:16 pm EDT. The New Moon will occur at 2:44 pm EDT on September 18th and a First Quarter Moon will appear on the 26th at 12:49 am EDT.
September brings a lot to see in the night sky. The fall opens the new season with great sights and sets up the autumn and winter skies bringing with them some wonderful night viewing opportunities.
 |
