What to see in the night sky in September 2023

Dust this sweatshirt, take a blanket and enjoy the decreasing weeks of summer while you look in the evening sky. You will find below some of the beautiful celestial strengths to wait in September 2023.

The end of the new September moon gives way to Dark Skies (September 14)

The new September moon will arrive on September 14, the lunar surface illuminated by the sun in front of the earth. This phenomenon will give way to an exceptionally dark sky without moonlight and perfect to observe galaxies, planets and other celestial wonders.

If you want a dark sky target, try to find Andromeda’s galaxy. Located about 2.5 million light years from the earth, this is the most distant object visible to the naked eye. To locate it, leave when the sky is completely dark and look at the bottom right of the Cassiopeia constellation (a series of stars in the shape of “M” or “W”). Andromeda will appear as a shiny stain on the sky. If you have a pair of binoculars, bring them to help improve sight!

If you are immortal, you can expect the views of the Andromeda galaxy to improve over time. Astronomers estimate that in 4 to 5 billion years, our own galaxy and Andromeda of the Milky Way will come up against and combine to form a giant elliptical galaxy. You can see a simulation of the spectacular of our night sky following this collision here.

Venus puts a spectacular morning show (September 18)

For those of you who get up early, Venus has been practically impossible to miss in recent weeks. The second planet of the Sun regularly increased brightness, and this crescendo will lead on September 18, when Venus reaches its maximum brightness for this cycle. That day, “the morning star”, as it is often mentioned, will be in its most radiant, surpassing other celestial bodies in the sky before dawn.

But this dazzling display will not last indefinitely. After reaching this zenith of brightness, Venus will begin its progressive transition to the vicinity of the sun. Over time, he will go from his beacon position in the morning to a brilliant point of light in the evening sky. So, if you haven’t already done so, be sure to take a moment early in the morning to appreciate this natural wonder. It is a celestial treat that is difficult to ignore!

Neptune to his closest (and the brightest) of the earth (September 19)

Neptune, the eighth and the most distant from the planet known to our solar system (sorry, Pluto!), Will be up to its annual opposition (when the earth passes between it and the sun) on September 19. Despite a mass 17 times that of the earth, this gas giant is so far (it takes four hours to travel between Neptune and Earth during the opposition) that it seems very low even to its closest. To see it, Earth-Sky recommends consulting this graph from lakylive and investing in a pair of binoculars mounted on a tripod or telescope.

Funny fact: Neptune winds can reach speeds up to 1,500 MPH – the fastest even faster in our solar system. It is also our coldest planet, plunging at temperatures of -366.6 F. Ask your Stargazing guests to think about this while you are trying to locate this wonder with blue.

Bid goodbye to the summer and greet the fall equinox (September 23)

The first fall day in the northern hemisphere will officially arrive that day, and for our friends in the southern hemisphere, it is the first day of spring! At 2:49 p.m. Hae, we will say goodbye to the soft summer days and we will welcome the beginning of fall with the fall equinox. The autumn equinox occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator, which is an imaginary line in the sky which corresponds to the equator of the earth.

In anticipation of the coldest months in advance, the autumn Equinox offers an important reminder to start thinking about firewood, pumpkins and dust your warmer clothes. According to the long -range forecasts of farmers (which, like all long -range weather forecasts, should be taken with a grain of salt), the coming winter will “rejoice cold weather fans”, with “more snow and low temperatures on a national scale”.

See tiny Mercury to its brightest (September 22)

Mercury, the smallest of the planets of our solar system, will be a little easier to spot early in the morning of September 22 when it reaches its greatest extension. Before this date, Mercury will have fun of magnitude -0.3 to -1.0. The only drawback of all this is that Mercury will only reach 15 degrees above the horizon before dawn spoils the show, so make sure you have a clear view of the eastern horizon.

Attend the harvest moon (September 28)

The full moon of September, nicknamed the “Harvest Moon”, will rise on the evening of September 28 and will reach a peak lighting at 5:58 am in the morning of the 29th.

As its name suggests, this full moon is as well as that of timing (increase for several days just after sunset) by providing crucial light to farmers harvesting their harvests. Unlike other complete moons, its name is specifically linked to the falling equinox. As such, the harvest moon can sometimes occur in early October (as it did in 2020). When this happens, the full moon of September is appropriately called the “corn moon”.

Welcome to the haunting zodiac light (end of September)

This celestial object (alias zodiacal light) also signals the start of the fall for the northern hemisphere. It is described as a “cone -shaped glow”, similar to the dusty look of the Milky Way, but as a comet and in asteroid dust. It is estimated that for this phenomenon to remain a stable presence in our sky, some three billion tonnes of matter must be injected each year by comets. For a better vision, see your local sun time and subtract an hour – and make a lot of coffee to awaken as this “false dawn” appears.