Sept. 7: Full Moon
The "Harvest Moon" or "Corn Moon" is the name given to this month's full moon. Named for the time in agrarian cultures when crops are harvested in advance of the coming winter. This full moon will reach its peak illumination on September 7th at 12:08 PM MDT.
Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech
Sept. 19: A conjunction between the Moon, Venus, and Regulus
In the early pre-dawn hours, look east toward the waning, crescent Moon setting in the sky and you'll notice something peculiar.
The Moon will be nestled up right next to both Venus and Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
The three are part of a conjunction, which simply means that they look close together in the sky (even if they’re actually far apart in space).
To find this conjunction, just look to the Moon.
Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech
Sept. 21: Saturn at Opposition
Saturn will be at opposition, meaning Earth will find itself in between Saturn and the Sun, temporarily lined up.
This also means that Saturn is at its closest and brightest all year.
Saturn will be visible with just your eyes in the night sky, but with a small telescope, you might be able to see its rings.
Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech
Sept 22: The Autumnal Equinox
On September 22, we mark the autumnal equinox or the official start of fall in the northern hemisphere.
Astronomically, this is the time when the Sun finds itself exactly above the equator.
On this day, our planet isn't tilted toward or away from the Sun, and both day and night are almost exactly 12 hours (with a few small exceptions).
Image courtesy of Vito Technology, Inc.
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