Introduction
August was another great month for stargazing. Unfortunately, I have yet to utilize my telescope and astrophotography gear this year, but hopefully, the day will come soon. I was, however, able to view the stars of the early morning sky. Orion has been visible and continues to climb higher in the sky before the morning glow of the Sun overpowers the twinkling stars. I have also been able to see the Pleiades, which will soon make it to my list of featured Messier objects. In addition to these sightings, I have spotted the station flying overhead, the thin crescent Moon, and Venus looking above the mountains before sunrise. All of these objects have been found in the eastern sky. To the southwest, my gaze has been captured by Saturn and bright Jupiter.
September typically begins to cool off in Utah, making the stargazing conditions even more pleasant in my opinion. The Messier objects belonging to Draco, Hercules, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Scutum, Serpens, and Sagittarius will still be in a great position in the sky for viewing. This month will bring the opposition of Jupiter and Neptune, the Zodiacal light, and the Autumnal equinox. I will also discuss the three Messier objects belonging to Cygnus and Vulpecula. In the Midmonth Check-In, I will discuss the four Messier objects belonging to Aquarius, the last of the summer constellations.
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| Mercury |
Mercury will be a tough target to spot this month. The best time to catch this elusive planet is during the first week of September. Shortly after sunset, find the bright star Arcturus in the western sky. Arcturus will be about 40° high in the sky, or a little less than halfway to the zenith. After locating Arcturus, drop your gaze straight down towards the horizon to spot Mercury. Its brightness, or lack thereof, and its position in the sky, roughly 5° above the horizon, will mean an observer will need to be at a higher location with a clear view of the western sky to view Mercury this month.
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| Venus |
Venus will be a bit easier to spot for the early risers. Our sister planet will shine at nearly -4.0 magnitude and can be found in the eastern sky before sunrise. Unfortunately, Venus will be less that 10° above the horizon, but should still be easy to spot. A thin crescent Moon will join this planet on the morning of the 24th, at which time Venus will show a 99% lit disk for those viewing with a telescope or binoculars.
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| Mars |
Mars can be found rising above the eastern horizon just after midnight as the month begins. The red planet can be found in Taurus during September and will be close to Aldebaran, the Bull's red eye. Now is a great time to view the Red Planet as it approaches its December opposition. Several surface features will be visible during September, including Valles Marineris, the Grand Canyon of Mars. The best time to view Mars during September will be during the few hours before sunrise when the Red Planet can be found high in the sky.
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| Jupiter |
Jupiter and Saturn will both be excellent targets this month for any size of telescope. Jupiter will reach opposition on the 26th, rising in the east as the Sun sets in the west. While the cloud bands and the Great Red Spot of Jupiter can be seen when the planet is above the horizon, oppostion will allow an observer more time to view the features. Telescope users will also be able to see the shadows of the Galilean Moons on the cloud tops of Jupiter as they pass in front of the planet from our line of sight.
Saturn will remain a great target this month since it reached opposition during August. It will be visible in the east after sunset. A telescope will reveal the majestic rings, the Cassini Division, and Titan. The Earth's own moon will join Saturn in the sky on the 7th and 8th of September.
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| Neptune |
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| Uranus |
The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars. Uranus can be found between Jupiter and Mars this month. It will also be found close to the Pleiades and will rise just after midnight. The Moon will join Uranus in the sky on the 15th.
Neptune will continue to be found between Saturn and Jupiter during September. The most distant planet will reach opposition on the 16th of September. The Moon will be found between Jupiter and Neptune on the 11th.
Meteor Shower
September does not offer a major meteor shower but it does bring the return of the zodiacal light. Due to the tilt of the Earth as it orbits the Sun, March (Spring equinox) and September (Autumn equinox) offer observers the opportunity to view sunlight reflected off of dust particles in the solar system. To view the zodiacal light in September, look to the east a few hours before dawn to catch a glimpse of a dim pillar of light. Of course, to increase the chances of viewing the zodiacal light, find a dark sky site and a clear view of the eastern horizon.
Spot Me....🕵️
This post will focus on the three Messier objects belonging to Cygnus and Vulpecula. I will continue to share an image, from Stellarium, of what the night sky will look like in the area of the sky of the highlighted Messier objects, then share an image of the same sky but with constellation lines and labels to help identify the constellations. Following these two images, I will have separate images for the location of the Messier objects and finally an image that shows where all of the discussed Messier objects are located.
The following image is taken from Stellarium, a free planetarium software. This shows what the sky will look like if an observer faces south, and then looks straight up. Notice the three bright stars, Deneb, Vega, and Altair that make up the Summer Triangle.
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| Facing south and then looking straight up during September. Deneb, Vega, and Altair are easy to pick out. |
The following image is the same as above only with constellation lines and labels, as well as Deneb, Vega, and Altair labeled.
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| Constellation lines and labels with Deneb, Vega, and Altair also labeled. |
The first two targets belong to Cygnus the Swan which I think is an easy constellation to spot in the night sky. Cygnus is one of the few constellations that actually looks like what it is representing! The first target is M29 (aka Cooling Tower Cluster, NGC 6913) which is an open star cluster. To find this object, I first locate Deneb, which represents the tail of Cygnus. From there, I guide my telescope towards the bright star that connects the wings and the tail to the rest of the body of the swan. After locating this star in my scope, I continue to move towards the head of Cygnus for a very short distance and towards the wing furthest away from Vega. See the image below for the location of M29.
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| Location of M29 in Cygnus the Swan. |
After viewing M29, I guide my telescope back to Deneb. After centering Deneb, I continue to travel away from Cygnus to the left, the direction of the wing furthest from Vega. After some searching, I can find M39 (aka NGC 7092) another open star cluster. This Messier object is kind of tricky to find, so please check out the image below for help in locating M39.
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| Location of M39 in Cygnus the Swan. |
When finished viewing the two Messier objects in Cygnus, shift your gaze to Vulpecula. This constellation is supposed to be a fox, but it looks just like two stars forming a line to me. Vulpecula can be found just off the head of Cygnus. See the image below with constellation lines and labels to help find the fox.
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| Constellation lines and labels with Deneb, Vega, and Altair also labeled. |
When I search for M27 (aka Dumbbell Nebula, NGC 6853), a planetary nebula, I center the star that represents the head of Cygnus in my low-power eyepiece and slowly nudge my telescope to the left (towards Vulpecula and Delphinus) until I locate this object. It will be quite obvious when you have M27 in the field of view because it will be a fuzzy blob instead of pinpoint stars. The longer you study this object, the more detail your eyes will detect. See the image below for the location of M27.
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| Location of M27 in Vulpecula. |
This concludes the highlighted Messier objects for this post. See the images below for a quick reference on the locations of M27, M29, and M39.
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| Messier objects of Cygnus and Vulpecula. |
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| Messier objects of Cygnus and Vulpecula with constellation lines and labels. |
Remember to take your time viewing these objects, especially M27, as your eyes will pick up more detail the longer you study it. Your eyes may also be able to pick up more stars in the two open clusters belonging to Cygnus the longer you look at them. Here is an updated file of the Messier Catalog. In the mid-month post for September, I will highlight the objects belonging to Aquarius.
Monthly Breakdown
September 03: First Quarter Moon 🌓
September 04: Venus and Regulas within 1°
September 08: Moon passes within 4° of Saturn
September 08: Mars and Aldebaran within 4°
September 10: Full Moon 🌕
September 10: Moon passes within 3° of Neptune
September 11: Moon passes within 2° of JupiterSeptember 14: Moon passes within 1° of Uranus
September 16: Neptune reaches opposition
September 16: Moon passes within 4° of Mars
September 17: Last Quarter Moon🌗
September 22: Autumnal equinox
September 23: Mercury reaches inferior conjunction
September 25: New Moon 🌑September 26: Jupiter reaches oppostion
Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts. You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
Planet images were taken by NASA.
Andrew vs. the Cosmos was taken by Jeff Greenland.
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