It’ll be tough to top last month’s two supermoons, but September has a host of night-sky fun in store. We have planet sightings, the year’s last supermoon, a potential comet sighting, and it’s one of the last months of the year to spot the Milky Way core, according to Photopills. It’s also the return of the long-awaited aurora borealis season in the northern hemisphere.
Speaking of the lights, September offers some of the best aurora-chasing odds. Historically, light chasers can enjoy an uptick in aurora activity around the equinoxes, including this month’s fall equinox, according to Popular Science. This has to do with strong geomagnetic storms and the tilt of the Earth’s axis. With solar maximum — the roughly 11-year peak of auroral activity — nearing, the northern lights odds are increasingly in our favour. (Here are our favourite spots to chase them.)
Yet auroras aren’t the only spectacle September’s night sky has on offer. Block off the following nights and early mornings to experience the month’s top interstellar events.
Planet sightings, a supermoon and other astronomical events to watch in September 2023
September 1-13: Comet Nishimura
For the first half of September, stargazers have a chance to see comet Nishimura near the east to northeast horizon, according to Sky and Telescope. For those in the lower 48 states, it will be visible just above the horizon. It will look like a “star-like blob with a signature tail,” according to Earth.com. The comet is expected to have a brightness of roughly 4 to 5 magnitude; it should be visible to the naked eye, but NASA reports that, given how unpredictable comets are, it’s guaranteed. Look for it around sunrise and sunset before September 13.
September 3: Moon and Jupiter conjunction
Around 10:30 pm ET, the 73-percent-illuminated moon and bright Jupiter will rise in tandem near the eastern horizon, according to stargazing app Starwalk. You can see the duo with your naked eye — and they’re not the only planets shining in the sky this night. Look halfway up the sky from the southeast horizon to see pale-yellow Saturn, which is visible to the naked eye. Venus will hover to the east of it, but you’ll need tools like stargazing binoculars or a telescope to see it.
September 18-19: Neptune at Opposition
If Neptune’s on your 2023 planet-sighting bucket list, bookmark September 19. The blue giant planet will reach opposition — when Earth lies directly between the planet at the sun — on September 19 at 7 a.m. ET, according to EarthSky.org. Your best odds of spotting it are overnight into the morning from September 18 to 19 in a dark-sky location. It will rise from the eastern horizon around sunset; you can spot it near the Pisces constellation.
September 22: Mercury at Greatest Morning Elongation
On the morning of September 22, Mercury will reach its greatest morning elongation — one of the best times to view the fast-moving planet. It will occur around 9 am ET, but you can watch the brighter-than-normal planet just before sunrise, according to EarthSky.org. It will continue to stay bright and visible through September. Head out before sunrise, around 6 am ET, to see Mercury rising in the east with Venus above it.
September 23: Fall Equinox
September 23 marks a fall in the northern hemisphere. Autumn begins at 2:50 am ET, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The first day of fall brings a host of excitement — and we’re not just talking pumpkin spice lattes. Cultures around the world celebrate the equinox, from the Stonehenge sunrise celebrations in the UK to Mexico’s Chichen Itza, where visitors can learn about the equinox’s importance to Mayan culture.
September 28-29 Super Harvest moon
In case you didn’t get your supermoon fill in August, September has one last larger-than-average moon left: the superharvest moon. In the early hours of September 29, the full moon will reach its peak size and brightness. Around sunset on September 28 is your best chance of watching it in all its glory, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. This month’s spectacle is not only a supermoon but a harvest moon — the name for the moon that’s closest to the fall equinox.
Shop the best travel experiences here
(Hero and feature image credit: JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com
Related: The Céleste: Travel To The Stratosphere In A Luxury Space Capsule
Stephanie Vermillion
Most popular
Most popular
