Sky Watcher - September 2024
September Planet Spotting
In the early evenings, Venus and Saturn will be easily visible for most of September. Look west-southwest for Venus and southeast for Saturn. If you are an early riser (or stay up late!) you can catch Jupiter in the constellation Taurus and Mars in the constellation of Gemini around 4:00am.
Caption: Infographic showing the location of Venus in the western sky during September 2024.
Caption: Graphic illustrating the position of the planet Saturn and "The Circlet" of Pisces in the sky during September 2024.
Caption: Graphic illustrating the positions of the planets Jupiter and Mars in the early mornings during September 2024.
Partial Lunar Eclipse
On September 17, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible for most of the United States. This will be difficult to see from mid-Missouri, especially with clouds or poor seeing. If we luck out with a clear sky, this will be a nice opportunity for binocular viewing and for astrophotographers to practice their skills!
For Columbia, the eclipse times are as follows:
Umbral Partial Eclipse Begins: 9:12pm CDT
Maximum Eclipse: 9:44pm CDT
Umbral Partial Eclipse Ends: 10:15pm CDT
Caption: Graphic showing the Moon's appearance during maximum eclipse from Columbia, MO.
Autumn Equinox
Each September, the fall or autumn equinox occurs on September 22, 23, or 24 most years. This year is no different, with the autumnal equinox occurring on Sunday September 22, 2024.
The equinox is defined by the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator, which is an imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator. On the date of the equinox, Earth’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the Sun’s rays, meaning all regions on Earth receive (approximately) equal hours of day and equal hours of night. The September equinox marks the beginning of the astronomical fall season.
Caption: Graphic from timeanddate.com showing the orientation of the Sun and Earth during the September equinox.
