Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).
Brief Calendar of Events
| Date | Event |
| 1 |
Sun |
Mercury at greatest elongation east (27°) |
| 7 |
Sat |
New Moon |
| 8 |
Sun |
Moon at perigee |
| Delta Aurigids meteor shower |
| 13 |
Fri |
First Quarter Moon |
| 21 |
Sat |
Full Moon |
| Saturn at west quadrature |
| 23 |
Mon |
Moon at apogee |
| Equinox |
| 27 |
Fri |
Mercury at inferior conjunction |
| 29 |
Sun |
Last Quarter Moon |
There are no eclipses this month.
Early this month is the best time to view the northern polar region of the Sun.
Earth reaches an equinox this month, marking the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere.
As seen from the Earth, the Sun is moving from the constellation Leo to the constellation Virgo.
The Planets
The word planet is derived from the Greek word for "wanderer." Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars.
- Mercury
- Following greatest elongation east on the first of the month, Mercury dives towards the horizon and is lost to view at least a week before inferior conjunction on 27 September. This tiny planet spends the entire month in the constellation Virgo.
- Venus
- Already becoming low in the sunset sky for northern observers, the "evening star" starts its plunge towards the western horizon for watchers in the favoured southern hemisphere. Venus can be found in the constellations Virgo and Libra.
- Mars
- The red planet rises about two hours after Jupiter so it is difficult to see in the early morning twilight. Look for it in the constellation Leo as it reaches aphelion on 21 September.
- Jupiter
- The largest planet in the solar system emerges from the Sun's glare to become a morning sky object in the constellation Cancer. Watch it pass close by the Beehive open star cluster during the first two weeks of the month.
- Saturn
- Now rising at or just before midnight, the ringed planet is particularly interesting to observe this month as it reaches west quadrature on 21 September. This is the best time to look for interesting shadow effects between the planet, its rings and its satellites. Saturn is in the constellation Orion.
- Uranus
- Following last month's opposition, this barely visible gas giant is up all night in the constellation Capricornus.
- Neptune
- Neptune leads Uranus across the sky in the constellation Capricornus.
- Pluto
- Pluto sets in the evening hours in the constellation Ophiuchus. However, because it is so small and faint, a large telescope is always needed to see it.
Minor Planets, Comets and Meteors
- Minor Planets
- A number of interesting minor planets populate the solar system.
- Comets
- There are no naked-eye comets visible this month.
- Meteors
- The nearly new Moon provides dark skies for the delta Aurigids meteor shower.
The Celestial Sphere
Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognises 88 different constellations. The brightest stars as seen from the Earth are easy to spot but do you know their proper names? With a set of binoculars you can look for fainter objects such as nebulae and galaxies or some of the closest stars to the Sun.
Descriptions of the sky for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres are available for the following times this month. Subtract one hour from your local time if daylight savings time is in effect. (Note: These times are approximate.)
Northern Hemisphere : 45° N
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
Southern Hemisphere : 30° S
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
For More Information...
- Consult our online glossary for non-technical explanations of many of the astronomical terms used in these pages.
- Blue moons, eclipses, the dates of Easter and much more can be found at the Interactive Astronomy Pages.
- For more information about the objects and events described in SkyEye, visit these astronomy-related sites.
Credits
Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of your favourite amateur astronomy magazine available in your local bookshop. Another excellent source is the current edition of the Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell and published by the Universal Workshop at Furman University.
The image of the Sun in the SkyEye banner is courtesy of the SOHO/EIT consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Used with permission.
Copyright © 1995-2002 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman
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Obliquity
Last modified on 31 August 2002
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