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Your guide to constellations, deep-sky objects,

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planets, and events,

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Tonight's Sky, highlights of the September Sky

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Early in the month, Jupiter appears low in the west

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right after sunset.

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Try to catch a quick view of Jupiter through a telescope

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before it dips below the horizon.

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After the sky darkens, turn your attention to Saturn

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in the southwestern sky.

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A telescope will provide a wonderful look at the planet’s

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signature feature, its rings.

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September nights feature the “wet quarter” of the sky.

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Two neighboring constellations bear

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ancient references to water.

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Aquarius is one of the oldest constellations,

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recognized even by early civilizations.

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In ancient mythologies,

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Aquarius is the god of the waters.

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Look for the Water Jar, a group of stars shaped like a Y.

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A rich, compact cluster of stars

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can be seen in Aquarius.

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Known as M2, it contains about 150,000 stars

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located about 37,500 light-years away.

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Binoculars present it well, but a small telescope

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reveals much more detail in the cluster’s compact center.

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Nearby lies the great constellation Capricornus.

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Known in mythology as the Water Goat,

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it represents a creature that fed and watered the infant Zeus,

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ruler of the Greek gods.

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Algedi is the brightest star in Capricornus.

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It’s visible in binoculars as an elongated star.

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This odd shape is due to a visual trick.

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From our distant vantage point, two unrelated stars

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appear to be close together.

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Capricornus also hosts a dense cluster of stars, M30.

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A small telescope easily resolves

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individual stars in the cluster.

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Venus shines brilliantly in the eastern sky

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before sunrise.

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By mid-month, Mercury and Mars appear between

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Venus and the horizon, but they could be

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difficult to spot in the morning twilight.

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Mercury disappears from view in late September,

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but Mars remains in the sky and moves closer to Venus

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as the month progresses.