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This week’s night sky: September 11-18, 2023
This week is perfect for moon viewing. Most people think the best time to observe the satellite is when it’s full, but I actually think it’s a much more enjoyable sight when it’s in its delicate crescent. This week, you can see it disappearing into a thin crescent before dawn before reappearing on the opposite side of the sun in the sky after sunset.
As morning and evening change, it will move to a specific position in its orbit and trigger something special next month on October 14th. An annular solar eclipse will be visible in nine US states (and a partial solar eclipse will be visible in the remaining states). Americas).
Here’s everything you need to know about observing the moon, planets, and stars this week.
Monday, September 11: The Crescent of “The Beehive”
If the Pleiades star cluster (M45) visible in the eastern sky late at night is the most beautiful open cluster in the night sky, the Honeycomb star cluster (M44) is right behind it. However, you need to get up early to see it.
If you look to the east before dawn today, you’ll see the waning moon at 12% brightness, just 3 degrees from M44. Looks great through 10×42 or 10×50 binoculars. In the lower right is the very bright Venus.
Tuesday, September 12: Crescent showing “Earth Shine” with Venus
Before sunrise in the east-northeast today, there will be a spectacular sight of a very narrow crescent moon, only 6% bright. The Moon will show “Earthshine” (sunlight reflected from the Earth onto the Moon’s surface), and Venus will once again be visible up close.
Wednesday, September 13: Razor thin crescent moon
Stellarium
Wednesday, September 13: Razor thin crescent moon
If you wake up early today, you might see an ultra-slim crescent moon with a brightness of 2.4% in the east-northeast. However, it only appears at dawn, so you need a cloudless horizon to see it. Use binoculars to increase your chances of being spotted. About 4 degrees to the upper right of the Moon is Leo’s brightest star, Regulus.
Friday, September 15: new moon
Today is a new moon, and our satellite will be almost between the Earth and the Sun, and will be invisible in the Sun’s glare. This month will not cause a solar eclipse, but within 29 days its path will cross the ecliptic (the Sun’s apparent path through our sky) and that’s exactly what will happen.
The spectacular “Ringfire” annular solar eclipse will be visible in eight U.S. states from Oregon to Texas and Central and South America on October 14, 2023.
Sunday, September 17th Crescent Moon and Spica
Stellarium
Sunday, September 17th Crescent Moon and Spica
Tonight, you can enjoy even more of the evening view of the crescent moon rising in the west-southwest just after sunset. Barely 8% illuminated, the bright star Spica is visible to its lower right. Binoculars may be required. Mars will come close, but it may be too low to see.
Summer Triangle.
getty
Object of the Week: Summer Triangle
Rising in the eastern sky after dark and around midnight from July to August, the Summer Triangle is one of the anchors of the summer night sky. It consists of Deneb in the constellation Cygnus (top left), bright Vega in the constellation Lyra (top right), and Altair in the constellation Aquila (bottom, center), and from a really dark sky you can see the Milky Way flowing through the Summer Triangle. Masu. Specifically, it flows behind Deneb and Altair.
This week, the Summer Triangle is now stretching its final legs and will be seen inching closer toward the western sky.
Stargazing Tip of the Week: Buy Binoculars
There’s a lot to be said about stargazing with the naked eye. Not only is it perfectly possible to spend an entire career in astronomy without optical equipment, but for many stargazers, the whole point of being outdoors in the first place is to see the night sky with eyes wide open and immersive. .
But any pair of binoculars can reveal a second layer of the night sky beyond human vision, especially star clusters. Carefully focus your binoculars and drag them across the Milky Way around the Summer Triangle and you’ll be amazed at the rich starry sky visible.
The times and dates specified apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, please refer to online planetariums such as: Stellarium and the sky live.check Planet Rise/Planet Set, sunrise sunset and moonrise/moonset Time where you are.
I wish you clear skies and big eyes.
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