Observing Highlights

Your guide to the night sky this month

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September 2024

Wednesday 1st September

Moon near Mercury

  • Time: 14:00 / 2pm

Friday 3rd September

Mercury at greatest elongation west

  • Time: 4pm

Sunday 8th September

Saturn at opposition
Time: 16:00 / 4am
Saturn is at its closest and brightest. (Mag. +0.6.)

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Wednesday 2nd October

– Annular Solar Eclipse.
(Not visible from the UK.)

Thursday 3rd October

The Moon passes south of Mercury.

Monday 14th October

The Moon passes so close north of Saturn

Wednesday 2nd October

– Annular Solar Eclipse.
(Not visible from the UK.)

Thursday 3rd October

The Moon passes south of Mercury.

Monday 14th October

The Moon passes so close north of Saturn


Wednesday 2nd October

– Annular Solar Eclipse.
(Not visible from the UK.)

Thursday 3rd October

The Moon passes south of Mercury.

Monday 14th October

The Moon passes so close north of Saturn

Wednesday 2nd October

– Annular Solar Eclipse.
(Not visible from the UK.)

Thursday 3rd October

The Moon passes south of Mercury.

Monday 14th October

The Moon passes so close north of Saturn


December 2024

Sky Calendar — September 2024

1Moon near Mercury at 14h UT (17° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. 0.5.
• Mercury (Wikipedia)
3New Moon at 1:56 UT. Start of lunation 1258.
5Mercury at greatest elongation west at 2h UT (18° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. −0.2.
5Moon near Venus at 10h UT (25° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. −3.9. Occultation visible from Antarctica.
• Venus (Wikipedia)
• Occultation of Venus (In-The-Sky)
5Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 15h UT (distance 406,211km; angular size 29.4′).
6Moon near Spica at 18h UT (40° from Sun, evening sky). Occultation visible from Africa.
• Spica (Wikipedia)
• Occultation of Spica (In-The-Sky)
8Saturn at opposition (opposite the Sun) at 4h UT. The planet is at its closest and brightest. Mag. 0.6.
• Saturn at Opposition (In-The-Sky)
8Mars 0.85° S of M35 star cluster at 19h UT (74° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. 0.7.
10Moon near Antares at 14h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from western Australia.
• Antares (Wikipedia)
• Occultation of Antares (In-The-Sky)
11First Quarter Moon at 6:06 UT.
17Moon near Saturn at 11h UT (evening sky). Mag. 0.6. Occultation visible from western US, western Canada, NW Mexico, and NE Australia.
• Saturn (Wikipedia)
• Occultation of Saturn (In-The-Sky)
18Partial Eclipse of the Moon from 2:13 to 3:16 UT, mid-eclipse at 2:44 UT. Visible from the Americas, Africa, and Europe.
• NASA Lunar Eclipses: 2021-2030 (NASA)
• Partial Lunar Eclipse of 2024 September 18 (PDF) (NASA)
18Full Moon at 2:36 UT. Supermoon.
18Moon near Neptune at 5h UT (morning sky). Occultation visible from North America, Mexico and SE Alaska.
• Neptune (Wikipedia)
• Occultation of Neptune (In-The-Sky)
18Venus 2.4° NNE of Spica at 10h UT (28° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. −3.9 and 1.0.
18Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 13:34 UT (distance 357,286km; angular size 33.4′). Only 11 hours after Full Moon.
21Neptune at opposition at 0h UT. Mag. 7.8.
• Neptune at Opposition (In-The-Sky)
22Moon, Uranus and the Pleiades within circle 5.4° diameter at 6h UT (morning sky). Mag. 5.7.
22Moon near the Pleiades at 12h UT (morning sky).
• The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
22September equinox at 12:42 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point along the ecliptic where it crosses into the southern celestial hemisphere marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Equinox (Wikipedia)
23Moon near Jupiter at 23h UT (morning sky). Mag. −2.4.
• Jupiter (Wikipedia)
24Last Quarter Moon at 18:51 UT.
24Moon near M35 star cluster at 20h UT (morning sky).
25Moon near Mars at 14h UT (morning sky). Mag. 0.5.
26Moon near Castor at 5h UT (morning sky).
26Moon near Pollux at 11h UT (morning sky).
27Moon near Beehive cluster M44 at 15h UT (morning sky).
29Moon near Regulus at 11h UT (37° from Sun, morning sky).
• Regulus (Wikipedia)
30Mercury at superior conjunction with the Sun at 21h UT (not visible). The innermost planet passes into the evening sky.

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