Topline<\/p>\n
September begins with one of the month’s prettiest naked-eye sights as brilliant planet Venus glides past the bright star Spica low in the west during evening twilight. As the week progresses, the waning moon pays visits to the Pleiades star cluster and Mars while reaching last quarter, offering several rewarding observing sessions for those up before the sun. With moonlight diminishing, it\u2019s also an excellent time to start thinking about darker skies and the deep-sky treasures of late summer before autumn takes over. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about stargazing and the night sky from Monday, August 31 through Sunday, Sept. 6.<\/p>\n
September begins with one of the month’s prettiest naked-eye sights as brilliant planet Venus glides past the bright star Spica low in the west during evening twilight. (Photo by: Alan Dyer\/VWPics\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
VWPics\/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesTimeline<\/p>\n
Tuesday, Sept. 1: Venus Meets SpicaLook low in the west-southwest about 30 minutes after sunset to see dazzling Venus shining just over a degree from Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. The pair remains visible for only about 90 minutes after sunset, so don\u2019t leave it too late.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, Sept. 2: Venus And SpicaVenus continues to linger near Spica, although the two begin to drift apart. It\u2019s another beautiful twilight pairing for anyone with a clear western horizon.<\/p>\n
Thursday, Sept. 3: Moon Meets the PleiadesBefore dawn, the 61%-lit waning gibbous moon hangs close to the Pleiades (also called the Seven Sisters) in the constellation Taurus. Binoculars will help reveal the famous star cluster despite the moon\u2019s glow.<\/p>\n
Friday, Sept. 4: Last Quarter MoonThe moon reaches its last quarter phase, rising around midnight and leaving the early evening sky dark. It\u2019s welcome news for anyone hunting galaxies, nebulae and star clusters.<\/p>\n
Saturday, Sept. 5: Waning Crescent MoonIf you\u2019re awake before sunrise, look for the 38%-lit waning crescent moon passing through the constellation Taurus as it continues its journey toward next week\u2019s thin crescent phase.<\/p>\n
Sunday, Sept. 6: Moon and MarsThe 27%-lit waning crescent moon pairs with the red planet Mars before dawn in the eastern sky.<\/p>\n
Thursday, Sept. 3: Moon Meets the Pleiades<\/p>\n
StellariumNotes For Stargazers<\/p>\n
This is one of the year\u2019s last great weeks for enjoying the rich star fields of the summer Milky Way during comfortable evening temperatures. Venus dominates the western twilight, while early mornings reward anyone willing to set an alarm with attractive lunar pairings. Patience and a pair of binoculars are all you\u2019ll need for the week\u2019s best sights.<\/p>\n
Aquarius constellation. <\/p>\n
gettyConstellation of the Week: Aquarius<\/p>\n
Aquarius is not bright. It does not form an obvious shape. At first glance, it may seem invisible. But that\u2019s exactly why it matters \u2014 it teaches you how to see beyond the obvious. Look toward the southern sky after dark. Begin by searching for a small Y-shaped pattern of faint stars known as the \u201cWater Jar.\u201d Once you\u2019ve found it, let your eyes relax. Gradually, a broader pattern begins to emerge \u2014 a scattering of stars extending outward like a stream.<\/p>\n
Aquarius lies along the ecliptic, the path followed by the sun, moon and planets. This makes it an important reference region. Over the coming months, planets will move through this area, and knowing it now will make those movements easier to track. Finding Aquarius can be a turning point because you\u2019re no longer just recognizing bright constellations, but instead you\u2019re learning to detect subtle structure in the sky. <\/p>\n
Sunday, Sept. 6: Moon and Mars<\/p>\n
StellariumStargazing Tip of the Week: Get Outside During Twilight<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t wait until the sky is fully dark to begin observing. Some of the week\u2019s finest sights \u2014 including Venus and Spica early this week \u2014 are best seen during deep twilight, about 30 to 45 minutes after sunset. Arriving outside a little earlier also gives your eyes time to adapt as brighter stars begin to appear. It\u2019s one of the most magical times of the day when night\u2019s window on the stars begins to open, revealing the galaxy \u2014 and the universe \u2014 beyond.<\/p>\n
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium<\/a>. Check my main feed<\/a> for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.<\/p>\n Further reading<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Topline September begins with one of the month’s prettiest naked-eye sights as brilliant planet Venus glides past the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":664887,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[77],"tags":[582,18,19,17,10626,280847,15543,583,133,280846,16906,23154,2664,28141],"class_list":["post-664886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-astronomy","tag-eire","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-moon","tag-naked-eye-astronomy","tag-night-sky","tag-planets","tag-science","tag-spica","tag-stargazing","tag-twilight","tag-venus","tag-virgo"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117189201586192897","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=664886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/664887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=664886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=664886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=664886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}