Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All times and dates are given in Universal Time (UT). Daily darkness estimates are calculated for Greenwich, London (51.5° N, 0° W).
Calendar of Events - September
| Date | Event |
|---|
| 6 | Mon |
Last Quarter Moon |
| 8 | Wed |
Moon at apogee |
| 9 | Thu |
Mercury at greatest elongation west |
| Observations of the Delta Aurigids meteor shower should not be hampered by the waning crescent Moon. |
| 13 | Mon |
Binoculars may be necessary to see sixth-magnitude 4 Vesta at opposition in the constellation Aquarius. |
| 14 | Tue |
New Moon |
| 15 | Wed |
Mars at conjunction |
| 21 | Tue |
First Quarter Moon |
| 22 | Wed |
Jupiter at conjunction |
| Our planet reaches an equinox, marking the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere. |
| Moon at perigee |
| 28 | Tue |
The Full Moon closest to the equinox is popularly known as the "Harvest Moon." |
The Solar System
The word planet is derived from the Greek word for "wanderer." Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars.
- Sun
- Location: Leo -> Virgo
The best time to view the northern polar region of the Sun is early this month.
- Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR)
- Location: Virgo
This comet may become visible to the naked eye this month.
- Mercury
- Location: Leo -> Virgo
Mercury rises quickly early in the month and then sinks back down just as fast from a northern vantage point. For southern observers, the closest planet to the Sun remains low in the east before sunrise all month.
- Venus
- Location: Gemini -> Cancer -> Leo
Northern hemisphere observers will find Venus very high in the east before sunrise but it will get lower as the month progresses. The "morning star" continues to sink towards the horizon from the viewpoint of the southern hemisphere.
- Mars
- Location: Leo -> Virgo
Like Jupiter, the red planet reaches conjunction this month and is impossible to observe.
- Jupiter
- Location: Virgo
Jupiter is lost in the Sun's glare this month.
- Saturn
- Location: Gemini
The ringed planet rises just after midnight and is visible until sunrise.
- Uranus
- Location: Aquarius
Because it was at opposition late last month, Uranus is up nearly all night, setting before sunrise.
- Neptune
- Location: Capricornus
Neptune sets two hours before Uranus.
- Pluto
- Location: Serpens (Cauda)
With a brightness of around fourteenth magnitude, the smallest planet in the solar system can be seen only through a good-sized telescope. Look for it in the west because it sets before midnight.
The Celestial Sphere
Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognises 88 different constellations. The brightest stars as seen from the Earth are easy to spot but do you know their proper names? With a set of binoculars you can look for fainter objects such as nebulae and galaxies or some of the closest stars to the Sun.
Descriptions of the sky for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres are available for the following times this month. Subtract one hour from your local time if daylight savings time is in effect. (Note: These times are approximate.)
Northern Hemisphere : 45° N
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
Southern Hemisphere : 30° S
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
For More Information...
- Consult our online glossary for non-technical explanations of many of the astronomical terms used in these pages.
- Blue moons, eclipses, the dates of Easter and much more can be found at the Interactive Astronomy Pages.
- For more information about the objects and events described in SkyEye, visit these astronomy-related sites.
Credits
Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of your favourite amateur astronomy magazine available in your local bookshop. Another excellent source is the current edition of the Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell and published by the Universal Workshop at Furman University.
The image of the Sun in the SkyEye banner is courtesy of the SOHO/EIT consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Used with permission.
Copyright © 1995-2004 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman
All Rights Reserved
Designed and maintained by
Obliquity
Last modified on 31 August 2004
https://www.obliquity.com/skyeye/archive/2004/sep2004.html