September marks the astronomical end of summer in the northern hemisphere, as the apparent daily path of the sun across the sky in the northern hemisphere will gradually decline, leading to shorter daylight hours.
Director of the Jeddah Astronomy Society Eng. Majed Abu Zahra said that the autumnal equinox will occur on September 22 this year. The first half of September will be ideal for skywatching due to the absence of moonlight, as the moon reaches its full phase on September 18.
Abu Zahra said that because of its proximity to the autumnal equinox, the moon is called the Harvest Moon; it is considered a supermoon as it is closer to the Earth than average.
Abu Zahra said that a partial lunar eclipse is expected, which will be visible in the skies over Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, North and South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, and Africa. Only a small portion of the moon will pass through Earth’s shadow, and it can be observed if the sky is clear.
The best planet to observe at the beginning of
the night this month is Saturn, which will reach opposition on September 7, placing it at its closest distance to Earth this year, about 1.3 billion kilometers away. Saturn can be observed through a telescope showcasing its beautiful ring system that spans over 282,000 kilometers in diameter and has a thickness of only about 30 feet in most areas.
This year, and until 2025, only the edge of the ring system will be visible from our perspective on Earth, a phenomenon that occurs every 14-15 years.
The most prominent stars visible this month in the northern hemisphere include those of the Big Dipper, toward the northwestern horizon, of the Little Dipper, to the right of the Big Dipper, with the North Star (Polaris), at the end of its handle.
Moreover, away from city lights, the Milky Way can be seen stretching from the northeastern horizon to the southwest, representing the thickest part of our galaxy’s disk.
In the early morning hours at the start of the month, Mercury can be observed on the eastern hor
izon, along with some bright winter stars in the northern hemisphere, such as the two of Gemini, before the dawn light becomes too bright.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
