Night sky events NASA says to watch this September

From the fall equinox to a number of different events, September is set to have a number of interesting events to watch in the night sky.

NASA released its list of some of the best night sky events to enjoy for skywatchers, and it includes different positions for Venus, the Harvest Moon, and the fall equinox.

Here are some of the most interesting night sky events for September.

From September 14 through 20, the Moon guide you to a few celestial landmarks. About an hour after sunset, look south to find the Moon in the evening sky. 

Night by night, the Moon shifts position against the background stars, passing near Antares. This bright, reddish star marks the heart of the constellation Scorpius.  

Next you’ll see the Teapot, a group of stars in neighboring Sagittarius that really does resemble a teapot, complete with a handle, lid, and spout. If you are under an especially dark sky, you may see hazy steam rising from the Teapot’s spout. 

Follow that steam to its thickest part, and you’ll be looking toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. 

Look west on September 18 as Venus hits peak brilliance, shining at its brightest of this evening appearance. 

Shortly after sunset, Venus will stand out as a brilliant point of light low above the western horizon, outshining every star around it. A clear view of the horizon will give the best chance to catch it before it sets. 

Then on September 22, it’s officially fall in the Northern Hemisphere while spring begins in the Southern Hemisphere. The fall equinox, when the Sun is directly above Earth’s equator and day and night are close to equal in length around the world, will take place.

From there, daylight keeps getting shorter in the Northern Hemisphere and longer in the Southern Hemisphere. 

And on September 26, the Harvest Moon takes center stage, rising in the east shortly after sunset. 

It won’t be alone. Saturn appears nearby, with faint Neptune completing a wide triangle in the sky. 

Saturn is the easy one for viewers, as you can see it with just your eyes. Neptune is a bit more challenging. At around magnitude 8, it’s too faint to see with the unaided eye, so residents will need binoculars or a telescope to spot it. Darker skies and good observing conditions can help bring it into view.