Moon Phase:
First Quarter 4th
Full Moon 10th
Last Quarter 18th
New Moon 26th
Spring Equinox: 23rd
Planets:
Evening Sky
Jupiter joins Saturn in the evening sky this month.
Mercury is low in the western sky after sunset, in the constellation Virgo. However, by mid-month Mercury has disappeared into the twilight glare.
Jupiter is rising in the eastern sky after sunset, in the constellation Pisces. Best viewing of the giant of our Solar System this month is late evening and after midnight, in the early morning sky. On the 27th, Jupiter is at opposition (opposite the Sun in the sky as seen from Earth) and is at its brightest for the year.
Saturn is high in the eastern sky in the constellation Capricornus.
Morning Sky
Venus, Mars, Jupiter are visible to the unaided eye in the morning sky this month. Saturn is visible low in the west just before sunrise for the first week of the month.
Venus is low in the eastern morning sky in the constellation Leo. However, the brilliantly shining planet is lost in the twilight glare by the second week of the month.
Mars is high in the north-eastern morning sky, in the constellation Taurus. At the end of the first week, Mars passes close to the bright orange giant Aldebaran, with Mars the brighter of the two.
Worth a Look:
3rd to 13th: Mars passes close to Aldebaran in Taurus. Aldebaran is a bright, 1st magnitude, orange giant star and Mars will be the brighter of the pair.
8th: Saturn is below and slightly to the north (left) of the waxing gibbous Moon.
11th: Jupiter rises in the east just below the still full Moon.
17th: The waning gibbous Moon is below and to the west (left) of the Red Planet, Mars.
27th: Jupiter is at opposition and at its brightest for the year. Definitely worth a look in binoculars or a telescope.
You can download a star map for September here.
Clear Skies!
References:
Dawes G., Northfield P., Wallace K. (2020). Astronomy 2022 Australia, Quasar Publishing.
Lomb, N. (2021). 2022 Australasian sky guide. Ultimo, NSW: Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Media.
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