Monthly Night Sky Report: September 2025

              Introduction

   Overall, August was hot but did present quite a few cloud-free nights for stargazing. I was able to host a small star party and view many of my favorite night sky objects, as well as a few new targets. I traveled to Fish Lake, Utah, during the New Moon phase in August and brought along my camera gear and smart telescope. Fish Lake has a Bortle Class 2 rating, indicating minimal light pollution. I visited Fish Lake in 2024 and was able to capture some great night sky images, so I planned to repeat the experience this year. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. It rained every day, and there was 90% cloud cover at night. I was disappointed, but the cooler weather and rain (which I enjoy, just not for astronomy reasons!) were a lovely change from the heat. 

    September should bring cooler temperatures for Utah, but also an increase in cloud cover and storms. As mentioned above, I do enjoy the stormy weather, but for stargazing, it can be frustrating. This year in September, Saturn and Neptune will reach opposition, making it the best time of year to view these planets. A Total Lunar Eclipse will occur for millions of people around the world, just not for those in the continental United States. There will not be a major meteor shower this month, but the Zodiacal Light will be visible before sunrise. I have another trip planned for the end of the month to visit a Bortle Class 1 region, which is virtually devoid of light pollution. I plan to take my camera gear and smart telescope again. Hopefully the weather cooperates! 

                      

Mercury

    Since Mercury lies close to the Sun, it is usually a challenge to spot in the early morning or early evening sky. September will not be an exception. The best chance will come during the first days of the month when Mercury can be found close to Regulus in the morning sky. This tiny world will shine brightly at magnitude -1.2 on the 1st, but will be low on the eastern horizon. Mercury will move closer to the Sun until it reaches superior conjunction with our star on the 13th. Mercury will be lost from view for the remainder of September.

  

Venus

   Venus will remain an easy object to spot in the morning sky throughout September. During the first few days of the month, while Mercury is close to Regulus, Venus can be found close to the Beehive Cluster. A pair of binoculars or a low-power eyepiece in a telescope will be needed to view the Beehive Cluster. Perhaps Venus feels jealous and approaches Regulus until the 19th, when the pair can be found close together. A thin Crescent Moon can be found less than a degree away from this pair on the 19th. Venus will quickly move away from Regulus as it continues its eastward trek across the sky.  

    

Mars

    

    Mars is still hanging around in the western sky after sunset. The Red Planet sinks quickly with the constellation of Virgo after sunset. Spica, the brightest object in Virgo, can be found close to Mars on the 11th.   

       

Jupiter

Saturn

    Jupiter rises with Orion and the northern, much fainter, Milky Way Band. Betelgeuse and Jupiter will frame this region of the Milky Way, making it easier for those trying to spot it. Jupiter doesn't rise until around 4:00 a.m. for Utahns as the month begins. However, by the end of the month, Jupiter will rise about two hours earlier. Several Galilean moon transits will be visible during September. I encourage interested observers to use the Moons of Jupiter and Saturn app for Android or Gas Giants for iOS devices to determine when these transits occur at their location. Both of these apps are free. If an observer is interested in a paid and more comprehensive app, I highly recommend Stellarium Plus for both Android and iOS, as well as Sky Safari Pro for iOS. The Earth's own Moon will pass close by Jupiter on the 16th this month.  

    While all of the planets are favorite views of most astronomers, observers should pay particular attention to Saturn during September. The Ringed Planet will be at its best in 2025 this month as it reaches opposition on the 21st. This means Saturn will rise in the east as the Sun sinks below the horizon. The reflected sunlight from Saturn will help observers view more detailed planetary features, such as the various shades of the cloud bands and the numerous rings of Saturn. Unfortunately, the tilt of the rings isn't at its best this year, but it will improve in the coming months. Several Saturnian moon transits are visible this month. The apps mentioned above will also give observers additional resources for Saturn.  The Earth's Full Moon will pass close by on the 8th.          

       

Neptune

Uranus

    

    Uranus will continue riding on the back of Taurus during September. This planet will be harder to find in the night sky due to its dimness and the absence of easy guideposts to locate it. Uranus can be found between the Pleiades and the Hyades. The Hyades contains Aldebaran, the bright red star that represents the angry eye of Taurus. The Moon passes close by on the 12th.     

  Neptune will remain close to Saturn during September and will reach opposition on the 23rd, just two days after the Ringed Planet. A pair of binoculars or a telescope will be needed to see this dim world. The Full Moon will pass close to Neptune on the 8th. 

Return of the Zodiacal Light

   The Autumnal Equinox occurs on the 22nd of September this year. With no major meteor showers during the month, observers should turn their attention to the morning sky for the chance to view the Zodiacal Light. The best time to view this light is during the evening hours of March and the early morning hours in September. During this time of the year, an observer should find a sky free of all forms of light pollution, including the Moon, and a clear, unobstructed view of the eastern horizon. The Zodiacal Light will appear as a cone, think of a traffic cone, extending upwards from Leo the Lion through Cancer and terminating in Gemini, where Jupiter can be found. The second half of September will be the best time to view the Zodiacal Light this month because of the Moon's phase. During this time of the month, Leo will begin to climb above the eastern horizon at 4:30 in the morning with brilliant Venus. I will attempt to capture the Zodiacal Light during my camping trip at the end of the month.

Monthly Breakdown

September 07: Full Moon 🌕

September 08: Moon passes within 3° of Neptune

September 08: Moon passes within 4° of Saturn 

September 12: Moon passes within 5° of Uranus

September 13: Mercury reaches Superior Conjunction 

September 14: Last Quarter Moon🌗 

September 16: Moon passes within 5° of Jupiter

September 19: Moon passes within 1° of Venus

September 19: Moon, Venus, and Regulus within 2°

September 21: New Moon 🌑

September 21: Saturn reaches opposition 

September 22: Autumnal Equinox

September 23: Neptune reaches opposition

September 24: Moon passes within 4° of Mars 

September 29: First Quarter Moon 🌓 

 

         

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images were taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos image was taken by Jeff Greenland.

The Milky Way and Trees image was taken by Andrew Greenland.

Orion, Taurus, and Pleiades image was taken by Andrew Greenland.

                

                

Midmonth Check-In: August 2025 and My August Star Party

                  

  Introduction and Monthly Reminders   

       So far, August has been a pleasant month for stargazing and other outdoor activities. The highlight thus far for me was having a small star party during the first weekend of the month. More on this below! As always, I enjoyed watching the Moon as it became fuller during the first couple of weeks of August. I was also able to see a few Perseid Meteors before the peak date. I'm hoping to see more as the Moon phase moves towards New Moon. 

    I have a short weekend trip planned during the second half of the month and hope for clear skies to do some astrophotography. I should still catch some of the Perseids and other meteors under Moon- and light-pollution-free skies. The planets, stars, and Milky Way should be amazing! Now is a great time to view the planets, with all of them visible beginning with Mars in the evening sky and spanning the night, as Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter rise before the Sun.  

August Star Party 

      As mentioned, I hosted a small star party on the first weekend of August. I didn't get a complete count, but there were between 10 and 12 people present, including myself. I started the night off as I always do, setting up the telescope early, just before sunset, and letting it acclimate for approximately 30 minutes. After collimating the scope and aligning the finder scope, I completed a two-star alignment with Antares and Polaris. 

    After completing my setup and alignment, I slewed the telescope to the First Quarter Moon. This target always impresses first-timers and seasoned observers. It was likely the first time for most of my guests to look through a telescope. Following the Moon, I guided the scope to Mizar, a double star in the handle of the Big Dipper. Again, most guests were awed by this target. After everyone had had their fill, I moved to one of my favorite globular clusters, M13, the Hercules Cluster. Although it was not at its best, due to light pollution and an unstable atmosphere, it did not disappoint me or the other observers that night. After this target, my scope began having issues locating and centering objects in the field of view. I had to realign it, which improved this capability a bit. I believe the biggest problem was that the scope was not quite level. 

    We continued the night by looking at Epsilon Lyrae, also known as Double Double, which features two sets of double stars within its field of view. This was my first time observing this target, and I was pretty impressed. After the Double Double, I attempted to observe M57 (Ring Nebula), but again encountered telescope issues and was unable to acquire this target at the time. I moved to another double star, Alberio, which has one yellow star and one blue-white star. I've always enjoyed this example of a double star due to the high contrast. I then attempted M27 (Dumbbell Nebula), but, like M57, I was unable to acquire this target. I slewed to the Double Cluster in Perseus and Caldwell 13 (Owl Cluster), with most of the guests again being delighted. One guest in particular kept seeing shooting stars through the field of view, especially when targeting the Double Cluster in Perseus. By this point, most of the guests had left, and one had fallen asleep. One guest was very excited to see Saturn, so when it finally rose above the mountains shortly after midnight, I centered Saturn in the eyepiece.

    I was immediately disappointed by the view due to its low altitude, unstable atmosphere, and a slight breeze. The remaining guests looked through the scope and were impressed. Shortly after viewing Saturn, they thanked us for a good night and left. I completed another two-star alignment and slewed to M57 successfully, this time. I then went back to M27 and was again able to locate and center this target successfully. After viewing a few of the previous targets for about 45 minutes, the guest, who had really wanted to see Saturn, returned for more observations. Saturn was higher in the sky by this time, and the view improved a bit, leaving the guest exhilarated by being able to view Saturn and its rings for the first time. The guest left very satisfied with the evening's views. I may try to organize another star party for the end of August or the beginning of September, depending on the weather and plans.

    I plan to take my small telescope and camera along on my mid-August weekend trip to a dark sky. I hope to come back with many images to share.

    

Now get outside and look up!