Moon Phases
Tuesday, September 2, 7:11 a.m. EDT
First Quarter Moon
The First Quarter Moon rises around 2:30 p.m. and sets around 12:30 a.m. It dominates the evening sky.
Monday, September 8, 9:38 p.m. EDT
Full Moon
The Full Moon of September is known as the Harvest Moon because it is the Full Moon closest to the autumn equinox on September 22; it is also sometimes known as the Full Corn Moon. It rises around sunset and sets around sunrise; this is the only night in the month when the Moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the month, the Moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.
Monday, September 15, 10:05 p.m. EDT
Last Quarter Moon
The Last Quarter Moon rises around midnight and sets around 3 p.m. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern sky.
Wednesday, September 24, 2:14 a.m. EDT
New Moon
The Moon is not visible on the date of New Moon because it is too close to the Sun, but can be seen low in the East as a narrow crescent a morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the West an evening or two after New Moon.
Observing Highlights
Wednesday, September 10, 10 p.m. EDT
Uranus and the Moon
The waning gibbous Moon passes just north of Uranus in the constellation Pisces. The Moon will occult Uranus as seen from eastern Canada, Greenland, and northern Siberia. Seen here from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Sunday, September 14, after midnight
Aldebaran and the Moon
The waning last quarter Moon will pass just north of the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus.
Sunday, September 21, early evening
Mercury close to Spica
The planet Mercury will pass close to the bright star Spica in Virgo. This is a particularly good apparition of Mercury for observers in the Southern Hemisphere, less so for northerners.
Monday, September 22, 10:29 p.m. EDT
Equinox
The Sun crosses the celestial equator moving southward. Day and Night are of equal length. The Sun rises due east and sets due west everywhere on Earth. This is the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox (Spring) in the Southern Hemisphere.
Saturday, September 27, 9 p.m. EDT
Ceres and the Moon
The Moon passes just south of the dwarf planet Ceres in the constellation Libra.
Sunday, September 28, midnight EDT
Saturn and the Moon
The Moon passes just north of the Saturn in the constellation Libra.
Sunday, September 28, 11 a.m. EDT
Vesta and the Moon
The Moon passes just south of the asteroid Vesta in the constellation Libra.
Monday, September 29
Double shadow transit on Jupiter
The shadows of Europa and Callisto cross the face of Jupiter simultaneously, best seen from India and central Asia. Seen here from New Delhi.
Planets
Mercury will be in its best evening apparition of 2014 for
observers in the Southern Hemisphere. Northern observers will have more
difficulty seeing it.
Venus is low in the eastern sky, rising just before the Sun.
Mars is now fading rapidly in brightness as it moves towards the far side of the Sun.
Jupiter is low in the morning sky in the constellation Cancer.
Saturn, in Libra, is low in the WSW evening twilight sky, setting in mid evening.
Uranus is rising in mid-evening in the constellation Pisces, heading towards opposition on October 7.
Neptune was in opposition on the August 29th in Aquarius, so is visible all night long.
Geoff Gaherty
Starry Night Software Support
All graphics © 2014 Starry Night Software
Thanks for all the info. I just hope for some clear skies.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Geoff! You're efforts are appreciated!
ReplyDelete