September opens with Mars only six degrees north of the moon in the eastern dawn, quickly followed by new moon Sept. 5.
Sept. 8, Spica is less than a degree away, and is occulted in eastern Canada and Europe. Venus, in the west, is less than half a degree from the slender crescent moon Sept. 8, followed by Saturn Sept. 9. Full moon is on Sept. 19. Jupiter is five degrees away on the morning Sept. 28 in the eastern dawn sky.
Mercury, low on the western horizon, may not even show up, except in binocular views. It is close to the sun throughout the month, and the low angle of the ecliptic keeps it that way. The fleet planet brushes by Spica in Virgo Sept. 24.
Venus is low in the western evening sky, passing Spica Sept. 5, followed by the moon Sept. 8. This is an occultation in the Southern Hemisphere. Venus passes Saturn over a four night period, Sept. 16 to 20.
Mars is in Cancer in the eastern morning sky, moving into Leo late in the month. Sept. 2, watch for the nearby thin crescent waning moon.
Jupiter rises in the early morning, followed by the moon and Mars Sept. 1. The giant gas planet is bracketed by Orion in the west and Gemini in the east. The moon joins in again Sept. 28, which shouldn't be a surprise - one month later!
Saturn is low in the western evening sky. Watch for Venus with the Ringed Planet in mid-month. Saturn becomes a tough object to view, since it is so close to the horizon at sundown.
Uranus rises in the evening, crossing the sky all through the night, retrograding (appearing to move westward) in the constellation Pisces, the fish.
Neptune, retrograding in Aquarius, is visible with telescopic aid most of the night.
The zodiacal light should be visible in the eastern morning twilight for two weeks after the beginning of September. This is caused by dust in the Solar System lit up from behind by the sun.
The autumnal equinox is on Sept. 22.
- James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000 and is now editor's assistant and a contributor to Observer's Handbook, production manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal and the society's national secretary. He was given the RASC Service Award at the 2012 General Assembly in Edmonton.
