You Can Do It! Just Look Up

The nights are getting cooler and it’s the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the planetary spectacular that this month brings.  The Farmer’s Almanac offers a daily list of what to look for, so get your telescope and get out there!

The Evening Planets
Jupiter and Saturn are the planets to see in the evening. For Jupiter, look toward the east and high in the sky.  For Saturn, took to the southeast after sunset. In the early evening, Mars lies very low in the west shortly after sunset. 

The Morning Planets
Venus shoots rapidly higher each morning, before dawn, reaching its greatest brilliance of 2023 at midmonth. Venus will cast shadows on Earth. Above the same Eastern horizon, look for Mercury to reach its highest position on the 6th.

September 4 to 5: Jupiter Near Moon
Jupiter is high overhead during September nights. Look on September 4 and 5, when the Moon serves as a guide to locate the King of Planets. Jupiter will rise about 10 p.m.

September 11 to 12: Venus on Display
Witness a breathtaking sight just before dawn when Venus stands to the right of the crescent Moon within the constellation of Cancer.

September 19: Neptune in Opposition
Neptune comes into opposition this evening, which means that the Earth is directly between the planet and the sun. However, if you want to look at this tiny, blue disk, you will need to use your trusting telescope to bring it into view. 
 
September 21: Mercury Dangles Below Venus
Very low in the east, Mercury will rise one hour before sunrise. It will dangle right below Venus. Mercury reaches its greatest elongation from the Sun on September 22; the nearest planet to the Sun is now at its best as a morning star. Venus is much higher in the sky and will climb higher each morning and will reach its greatest elongation on October 23.

September 22: Moon in the Milky Way
Head outside around 8 PM, and look to the Southern sky for a spectacular view. The First Quarter Moon hovers in front of the Milky Way’s center, in the constellation Sagittarius.
  
September 23: Autumnal Equinox
Saturday morning, September 23, brings the autumnal equinox—at 2:50 A.M. This marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The equinoxes occur twice per year when Earth’s tilt with respect to the Sun is the same for both hemispheres. Both north and south receive the same amount of sunlight, and day and night are, briefly, of nearly equal length.

September 26: Saturn Sighting
Saturn, the ringed planet, is easy to locate this evening. You can observe the golden planet shining steadily (versus the twinkling stars) as it hovers just above the Moon nearly all night long.

September 29: Full Harvest Moon Rises
The month of bright planets closes out with a magical Full Moon on September 29, which peaks at 5:58 A.M. Unlike other full Moons, this full Moon rises at nearly the same time—around sunset—for several evenings in a row, giving farmers several extra evenings of moonlight and allowing them to finish their harvests before the frosts of fall arrive.