Here you will find useful observing information about the visible planets,
our Moon and other moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial.
Among these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout.
Animated images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects,
or apparent and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular features include plotting the monthly positions of the
visible planets using heliocentric coordinates; following moon phases; conjunctions; the sun's apparent motion and the Earth's real
motion along the ecliptic.
Scroll down for more web site information, resources, and a link to the previous month issue.
Click on this link to read the Previous Issue of Qué tal? in the Current Skies
September Sky Calendar | ||||
1. Venus near Spica 2. Mercury at perihelion (closest to Sun) 3. Moon near Aldebaran Last quarter Moon 6. Moon at Ascending Node Saturn ends retrograde motion 7. Thin Waning Crescent Moon near (4-5o) Beehive Star Cluster Neptune at opposition 8. Moon at Perigee: 361,355 km (224,535 miles) 9. New Moon |
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13. Moon near Jupiter 16. Mars at perihelion First quarter Moon 17. Moon near Saturn Sun does enter the Astronomical constellation of Virgo the Harvest Maiden. 19. Moon near Mars 20. Moon at apogee: 404,875 km (251,577 mi.) Moon at Descending Node |
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21. Mercury at superior conjunction 22. September equinox (8:54 pm EDT) Sun Does Not Enter the astrological sign of Libra the Scales 25. Full Moon Venus at greatest brilliance Saturn at east quadrature 30. Moon very near Aldebaran (0.5-1o) Mars and Neptune at Heliocentric Conjunction |
Name | September 03 | September 13 | September 23 | |
Mercury | 081o 35' | 140o 51' | 185o 28' | |
Venus | 307o 58' | 323o 47' | 339o 38' | |
Earth | 340o 27' | 350o 10' | 359o 55' | |
Mars | 327o 51' | 334o 12' | 340o 33' | |
Ceres | 186o 31' | 189o 15' | 191o 35' | |
Jupiter | 237o 23' | 238o 09' | 238o 56' | |
Saturn | 277o 53' | 2787sup>o 11' | 278o 29' | |
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