Autumn stargazing officially begins in September for New Yorkers. Here's a guide to astronomical sights in the NY skies.
Get ready, New Yorkers! This month offers a unique opportunity to observe bright planets and two small meteor showers. Here's a guide to help you navigate the night sky.
Planets on Display
Venus, often known as the morning star, can be seen shining powerfully just before sunrise in the eastern sky. As the month progresses, Jupiter will become visible just after midnight in the same region.
Saturn, the ringed planet, will be at opposition on September 21, making it bright and visible right after sunset. However, due to its angle, Saturn's rings will appear ringless. Interestingly, Saturn's neighbour, Neptune, will also be visible around the same time. Neptune will be at opposition on September 23, making it appear brighter than usual. You'll find Neptune near Saturn in the Southwest, making it easy to spot.
Meteor Showers
The Epsilon Perseid meteor shower streaks across the sky from Sept. 5 through 21, peaking on Sept. 9 with about five meteors per hour. However, the moon's brightness may drown out the meteors, so the best chances to see them are in a dark spot, away from city lights, and on nights when the moon is not visible.
The Aurigid meteor shower will be active from Aug. 28 to Sept. 5, peaking on the first day of September with around five to 10 meteors per hour.
Constellations and Special Events
The constellation Pegasus appears this month, with a diamond shape formed by its three bright stars - Markab, Scheat, and Algenib, along with Alpheratz from the Andromeda constellation. Some people like to view Pegasus as a baseball diamond as it marks the end of the regular MLB season and transition to playoffs.
The fall equinox occurs on September 22, marking the start of cooler and shorter days in the northern hemisphere. The full moon, also known as the corn moon due to its coincidence with harvesting time, lands on Sept. 7, making the first half of the month less ideal for stargazing due to lunar brightness. The new moon, the darkest lunar phase, is on Sept. 21, making the second half of the month darker and better for stargazing.
In September 2023, no specific astronomers are documented for making Saturn and Neptune visible at night in New York; generally, Saturn is visible to the naked eye, while Neptune requires a telescope or binoculars, best observed in the early night hours after sunset.
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