September welcomes a flurry of night-sky sights, from potential above-average northern lights — known to amplify around the equinoxes — to optimal planet viewing and the crème de la crème of lunar sightings: a partially eclipsed supermoon.
If you’re heading out to sky-watch, remember dark-sky locales, such as a stargazing hotel, provide the best vantage point. You can pack a pair of stargazing binoculars, or choose an accommodation with a telescope, but many of the month’s sightings are visible to the naked eye.
Here are the best night-sky attractions to keep an eye on this month, including where and when to look, and tips for snagging the best view.
Explore the best of September’s night sky
September 5: Mercury reaches Greatest Western Elongation
Our solar system’s innermost planet, Mercury, will be more easily visible than normal on September 5. It reaches its greatest western elongation—where it’s farthest from the sun—around 11 pm ET (11am HKT) on September 4, according to EarthSky. That said, it won’t be visible in the sky until the pre-dawn hours of September 5, from around 5:45 am to 6:15 am ET (5:45 pm to 6:15 pm HKT), according to SkySafari. You can spot it with the naked eye thanks to its -0.3 magnitude, roughly between the brightness of Sirius and Polaris. Look toward the eastern horizon, with Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus in a diagonal row above it.
September 7: Saturn at Opposition
Saturn and its rings will show off the night of September 7, when the planet reaches opposition—when it lies opposite from the sun when viewed from Earth. It will shine at its brightest magnitude (0.57) of the year tonight. Look for a yellowish dot travelling above the east-southeast horizon in the constellation Aquarius after sunset. You can see Saturn with the naked eye, but a backyard telescope will help you admire its eye-popping rings.
September 17: Partially Eclipsed Full Harvest Supermoon
If you missed the first supermoon of the year in August, you’re in luck. The full harvest moon on the evening of September 17 — the second of four supermoons in 2024 — comes with a special treat. Stargazers across much of the world, including the US (outside of Alaska), western Europe, parts of Asia, and Africa, will see a partially eclipsed harvest supermoon around 10:45 pm ET (10:45 am HKT), according to SkySafari. The lunar show will begin around 8:41 pm ET (8:41 am HKT) as the moon enters Earth’s light outer shadow; our neighbouring space rock will have that signature eclipse “bite” missing from 10:13 to 11:16 pm EDT (10:13 am to 11:16 am HKT).
September 20: Neptune at Opposition
Through a backyard telescope or stargazing binoculars, you can snag one of the best views of Neptune for 2024. The distant planet will reach its closest point to Earth (opposition) on September 20 around 6:45 pm ET (6l45 am HKT), according to Star Walk. It will be visible through much of the night above the east-southeast horizon. Look for Saturn, visible to the naked eye, to the right of it as well.
September 22: September Equinox
On September 22, the sun will cross the celestial equator, marking autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere. The equinoxes are known to produce particularly powerful aurora displays, so download a Northern Lights app to keep tabs on the likelihood of a contiguous US sighting — or, even better, plan a Northern Lights trip to an aurora hotspot for the days leading up to and following September 22. On this night, the moon will also approach the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters, making for a dazzling end to the summer (or winter) season.
September 22: Chicagohenge
You’ve likely heard of Manhattanhenge, but did you know Chicago’s skyline has its own take on the solar-alignment spectacle, too? On September 22, the sun aligns perfectly with the Windy City’s east-west-facing streets during sunrise and sunset: 6:45 am and 7:02 pm local time, according to Secret Chicago, which recommends watching on Washington Street from Millennium Park, or on E. Randolph Street between State Street and Michigan Avenue.
(Feature Image Credit: Alan Dyer/VW Pics/UIG via Getty Images)
This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com
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The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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