{"id":774077,"date":"2023-11-17T06:09:51","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T11:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=774077"},"modified":"2023-11-17T06:09:51","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T11:09:51","slug":"stargazing-calendar-for-september-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=774077","title":{"rendered":"Stargazing Calendar for September 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nComet Hartley 2 Deep Impact flyby. Image credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/University of Maryland.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
This month, the night sky beckons with a captivating celestial lineup. Look forward to the intriguing dance of planets in conjunctions, the mesmerizing streaks of meteors during showers, and Venus radiating at its brightest. Don\u2019t miss the chance to witness Comet Hartley 2\u2019s close encounter or the majesty of the 47 Tuc globular cluster. The September sky promises a celestial spectacle for all to enjoy!<\/p>\n
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Summary of Meteor Showers in September 2023<\/h2>\n\n
Aurigids:<\/strong> Start on August 28; peak on August 31; end on September 5.<\/li>\n
\u039d Eridanids:<\/strong> Start on September 1; peak on September 6; end on October 29.<\/li>\n
September \u03b5-Perseids:<\/strong> Start on September 5; peak on September 9; end on September 21.<\/li>\n
\u03c7-Cygnids:<\/strong> Start on September 3; peak on September 14; end on September 25.<\/li>\n
Daytime Sextantids:<\/strong> Start on September 9; peak on September 27; end on October 9.<\/li>\n
Southern Taurids:<\/strong> Start on September 10; peak on October 10; end on November 20.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Summary of Conjunctions in September 2023<\/h2>\n\n
Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter<\/strong> in Aries on September 4.<\/li>\n
Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury<\/strong> in Leo on September 13.<\/li>\n
Conjunction of the Moon and Mars<\/strong> in Virgo on September 16.<\/li>\n
Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn<\/strong> in Aquarius on September 26.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
September 4: Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter<\/h2>\n
The Moon and Jupiter will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 3\u00b018\u2032 of each other.<\/p>\n
At around the same time the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 3\u00b004\u2032 from each other, but no longer sharing the same right ascension.<\/p>\n
Both bodies will be visible in the constellation Aries with apparent magnitudes of -12.3 for the Moon and -2.7 for Jupiter. The Moon will be 19 days old or waning gibbous.<\/p>\nAries Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 5: Close approach of the Moon and M45<\/h2>\n
The Moon and the Pleiades star cluster (M45) will make a close approach or appulse, just like last month. This will happen again in the constellation of Taurus.<\/p>\n
You can observe this astronomical event with the naked eye because the Moon will be at apparent magnitude -12.1 and M45 at 1.3. The Moon will be 20 days old, meaning it will be waning gibbous.<\/p>\nTaurus Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 6:\u00a0\u039d Eridanid meteor shower peak<\/h2>\n
The variable rate meteor shower \u039d Eridanid will peak on September 6. Some meteors may also be visible between September 1 and October 29. They will appear to radiate from the constellation of Eridanus at the fast rate of 67 km\/s on average.<\/p>\nEridanus Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 9:\u00a0September \u03b5-Perseid meteor shower peak<\/h2>\n
On the 9th, the September Epsilon Perseid meteor shower will peak. At this time there will be an average of 5 meteors per hour assuming ideal observation conditions.<\/p>\n
Some meteors can also be visible between September 5 and September 21, as the meteor shower will be active between those dates. They will appear to radiate from the constellation of Perseus at an average speed of 64 km\/s. The Moon will offer very little interference as it will be a waning crescent at 24 days old.<\/p>\nPerseus Constellation Map IAU. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 13: Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury<\/h2>\n
There will be another conjunction, this time of the Moon and Mercury. The two celestial bodies will share the same right ascension passing 5\u00b059\u2032 of each other.<\/p>\n
They can be found in the constellation of Leo with apparent magnitudes of -8.1 for the Moon and 2.0 for Mercury. However the Moon will be a very thin waning crescent at 28 days old.<\/p>\nLeo Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 14:\u00a0\u03c7-Cygnid meteor shower peak<\/h2>\n
The Chi Cygnid meteor shower will peak on September 14. It\u2019s a variable rate shower active between September 3 and September 25. The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Cygnus at the slow average speed of 15 km\/s.<\/p>\nCygnus Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 16: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars<\/h2>\n
The Moon and Mars will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 39\u2032 of each other.<\/p>\n
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Virgo. The Moon will be a very thin waxing crescent at only one day old. Despite this, the Moon will still be at apparent magnitude of -8.7, while Mars will be at magnitude 1.7.<\/p>\nVirgo Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 18: Venus at greatest brightness<\/h2>\n
Venus will reach the brightest point in the cycle of its 2023\u20132024 morning apparition. It will be at apparent magnitude -4.5 in the constellation of Cancer. The Moon will not be interfering as it will be only 3 days old \u2013 a thin waxing crescent.<\/p>\n
The brightness of Venus is determined by two factors: its proximity to Earth and its phase. Its phase changes depending on where it is in relation to the Earth. When Venus is still a crescent \u2013 with less than half of its disk illuminated \u2013 it shines brightest. This is due to the fact that it is significantly closer to the Earth during its crescent phases than it is at other times.<\/p>\nCancer Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 19: Neptune at opposition<\/h2>\n
Neptune will reach opposition, when it lies opposite to the Sun in the sky, reaching the highest point in the sky around midnight local time, regardless of where in the world you are.<\/p>\n
It will be at apparent magnitude 7.8, so not visible to the naked eye, but a small telescope will suffice. Look in the constellation of Pisces. The Moon won\u2019t be interfering much because it will be a waxing crescent at\u00a04 days old.<\/p>\n
At around the same time, Neptune will also reach its closest point to Earth (perigee) at a distance of 28.90 AU.<\/p>\nPisces Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 22: Mercury at greatest elongation west<\/h2>\n
Mercury will reach its greatest separation from the Sun during its Sep\u2013Oct 2023 morning apparition. It will be shining brightly at apparent magnitude -0.5 in the constellation of Leo.\u00a0The Moon will be waxing gibbous at 7 days old.<\/p>\n
Be very careful when observing an object close to the Sun. Pointing a telescope or binoculars directly at the Sun can cause severe damage to your eyes, including permanent blindness.<\/p>\n
September 23: September equinox<\/h2>\n
The September equinox is the beginning of autumn for those in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of spring for those in the southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n
The Sun\u2019s annual trip through the zodiac constellations carries it across the celestial equator on the day of the equinox, giving everyone on Earth nearly exactly 12 hours of day and night.<\/p>\n
The term equinox is a combination of the Latin words aequus<\/em> (equal) and nox<\/em> (night).<\/p>\n
September 26: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn<\/h2>\n
The Moon and Saturn will be at conjunction by reaching 2\u00b038\u2032 from each other while sharing the same right ascension. The duo will be too far apart to fit within the field of view of a telescope, but they will still be visible to the unaided eye or with a pair of binoculars.<\/p>\n
Shortly after the conjunction, the Moon and Saturn will get even closer to each other at 2\u00b025\u2032, but no longer sharing the same right ascension.<\/p>\n
The two bodies can be seen in the constellation of Aquarius with an apparent magnitude of -12.7 for the Moon and 0.4 for Saturn. The Moon will be waxing gibbous at 11 days old.<\/p>\nAquarius Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 26: Comet Hartley 2 at closest approach<\/h2>\n
The comet Hartley 2 (or 103P\/Hartley as designated by the Minor Planet Center) will make its closest approach to Earth at 0.3828 AU or 148.9 lunar distances. It will pass at 18.3 km\/s relative to Earth. It can be seen in the constellation of Auriga with an apparent magnitude of 13.98.<\/p>\n
The comet was discovered by Malcolm Hartley in 1986. It\u2019s a small comet with an orbital period of 6.48 years, which means it\u2019s a frequent guest in the inner solar system. The current estimations of the diameter of the comet are at about 2 km.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, this comet has been visited by the Deep Impact spacecraft, as part of the EPOXI mission, on 4 November 2010. So it\u2019s one of the better known comets and thus an interesting target to observe.<\/p>\nAuriga Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 27: Globular cluster 47 Tuc at its highest point in the sky<\/h2>\n
The second brightest globular cluster, 47 Tuc (47 Tucanae, NGC 104, or Caldwell 106), will reach its highest point in the sky at around midnight local time. Since this object is in the constellation of Tucana, which is a southern hemisphere constellation, it won\u2019t be visible for most of us northerners.<\/p>\n
It will reach apparent magnitude 4.0, but unfortunately the Moon will be interfering a bit with observation because it will be waxing gibbous at 12 days old. You can observe it with the naked eye, but I would recommend at least a standard pair of binoculars for better observation.<\/p>\nGlobular cluster 47 Tuc. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI\/AURA)-ESA\/Hubble Collaboration Acknowledgment: J. Mack (STScI) and G. Piotto (University of Padova, Italy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
47 Tuc is one of the most massive globular clusters in our galaxy at 120 light years in diameter, containing millions of stars. It\u2019s also relatively close to us at 15,000 ly away. Both those facts combine into why this cluster is the second brightest one in our sky. It is theorized that it may contain an intermediate-mass black hole at its core. Another interesting fact is that this cluster contains stars that are over 13 billion years old, making it unusually old. There are even some pulsars in this cluster!<\/p>\n
Of course as an amateur astronomer you won\u2019t be able to spot any evidence of black holes, pulsars, or even individual stars, but it leaves you with a sense of wonder at what else is hidden in this ancient tiny spot of light\u2026<\/p>\nTucana Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
September 27-28: Daytime Sextantid meteor shower peak<\/h2>\n
Depending on your timezone either on September 27 or on the 28, the Daytime Sextantids will peak with an average of 5 meteors per hour if conditions are ideal. Some meteors may also be seen between September 9 and October 9.<\/p>\n
Meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Sextans at an average speed of 32 km\/s.<\/p>\n
It is suspected that this meteor shower originates from debris left by asteroid (155140) 2005 UD, a near-Earth object.<\/p>\nSextans Constellation Map IAU. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Moon Phases in September 2023<\/h2>\n
As you know, the Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies in the night sky. So here are the Moon\u2019s phases for this month:<\/p>\nSeptember 2023 Moon phases calendar. Credit: Astronomy Club of Akron.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Positions of the Planets in September 2023<\/h2>\n
Mercury:<\/strong> The closest planet to the Sun can be seen at dawn and dusk travelling across the constellation of Leo. This planet, being the closest to the Sun, will appear to move quickly in the night sky and its position will change in the following weeks.<\/p>\n
Venus:<\/strong> The sister planet can be seen travelling across the constellation of Cancer. Just like Mercury, Venus can only be seen at dawn and dusk.<\/p>\n
Mars:<\/strong> The red planet can be seen in the constellation of Virgo.<\/p>\n
Jupiter:<\/strong> The gas giant is visible in the constellation of Aries. Jupiter can easily be spotted with the naked eye, even in highly illuminated cities.<\/p>\n
Saturn:<\/strong> The ringed giant can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation of Aquarius.<\/p>\n
Uranus:<\/strong>\u00a0The gas giant can be seen in the constellation of Aries with the use of a telescope.<\/p>\n
Neptune:<\/strong> The blue giant requires a telescope pointed in the constellation of Pisces in order to be seen.<\/p>\n
Positions of Dwarf Planets and Large Asteroids in September 2023<\/h3>\n
Ceres:<\/strong> The asteroid belt\u2019s lone dwarf planet can be seen in the constellation of Virgo with the help of a telescope.<\/p>\n
Vesta:<\/strong> This large asteroid can be seen in the constellation of Taurus with a telescope.<\/p>\n
Pallas:<\/strong> The asteroid can be observed with a telescope in the constellation of Virgo.<\/p>\n
Pluto:<\/strong> This distant dwarf planet can be found in the constellation of Sagittarius with the help of a large telescope.<\/p>\n
Major astronomical events next month \u2013 October 2023<\/h2>\n
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October 2 \u2013 Asteroid 29 Amphitrite at opposition.<\/li>\n
October 6 \u2013 October Camelopardalid meteor shower peak.<\/li>\n
October 8 \u2013 Draconid meteor shower peak.<\/li>\n
October 10 \u2013 Southern Taurid meteor shower peak.<\/li>\n
October 11 \u2013 \u03b4-Aurigid meteor shower peak.<\/li>\n
October 14 \u2013 Annular solar eclipse.<\/li>\n
October 18 \u2013 \u03b5-Geminid meteor shower peak.<\/li>\n
October 18 \u2013 Eris at opposition.<\/li>\n
October 22 \u2013 Orionid meteor shower peak.<\/li>\n
October 22 \u2013 Comet 2P\/Encke at perihelion.<\/li>\n
October 24 \u2013 Leonis Minorid meteor shower peak.<\/li>\n
October 28 \u2013 Partial lunar eclipse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
In September, skywatchers can look forward to a variety of celestial events. Planetary conjunctions, like the Moon and Jupiter, will bring celestial objects close together. Meteor showers will offer glimpses of shooting stars. Venus will shine brilliantly, while Neptune reaches opposition. The equinox marks a change of seasons. Additionally comet Hartley 2 will make a close pass and the second brightest globular cluster, 47 Tuc, will be well positioned. Each event provides a unique opportunity to explore the night sky.<\/p>\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n
See also:<\/strong><\/p>\n
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![\"Auriga](\"https:\/\/astroblog.cosmobc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/09\/Auriga-Constellation-Map-IAU.jpg\")
![\"Globular](\"https:\/\/astroblog.cosmobc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/Globular-Cluster-47-Tuc.jpg\")
![\"Tucana](\"https:\/\/astroblog.cosmobc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/Tucana-Constellation-Map-IAU.jpg\")
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