If you stargaze just after sunset, you’ll notice a suspiciously bright star blazing in the western sky. It’s not a plane or a UFO. It’s the planet Venus and it is seriously bright. Venus reflects a lot of sunlight, and since it’s much closer to us than Jupiter or Saturn, it shines brighter than any other planet.
On the evening of Sept. 9, another celestial visitor will drop by Venus’ domain. The slim crescent moon will cozy up to the dazzling planet. Face west-southwest and look just above the horizon to see the pair for about an hour after sunset. But don’t wait too long to look. They will set quickly. Try to take some pictures of the two, Venus and the moon in their classic conjunction Sept. 9.
Moon matters to keep in mind this month
Sept. 16-17: The moon visits the big planets + space station flybys
Each month, as the moon circles the Earth, it eventually passes near all the planets. Look for it just below Saturn (which looks like a bright yellow star in the southwest) on the night of Sept. 16 and just below Jupiter (which looks like an even brighter cream-colored star in the southwest) on the night of Sept. 17.
To add to the celestial excitement, stargazers in the Midwest will also see the International Space Station (ISS) fly overhead. The ISS looks like a slow-moving, non-blinking bright star. When it goes overhead, you really can’t miss it.
The best flybys will be Sept. 16 from 8:52-8:57 p.m. (EDT) and Sept. 17 from 8:05-8:11 p.m. (Note these times are for the Cincinnati area – your time may be different). To find if the ISS is flying over you, get the app Sputnik or Satellite Tracker.
Sept. 20: The Harvest Moon
Each full moon has a nickname or two (or three). In August, it was called the Sturgeon Moon. In May, it was the Flower Moon. But this month, we will have the most famous and storied of the full moons, described in song and verse: the Harvest Moon.
Officially, the Harvest Moon will occur on the evening of Sept. 20. As the sun sets in the western sky, the full moon will rise in the eastern sky. Although the moon will appear larger when it’s on the horizon, it is just an illusion. In fact, this Harvest Moon will be slightly farther from Earth than average.
And one other myth about the Harvest Moon is that it is the reddest of the year. The moon, no matter the phase or the time of year, will always look redder when it is on the horizon. The Harvest Moon might appear red, but you never know exactly what conditions might affect the color. That’s what makes it so cool to watch a moonrise.
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