Saturn is first, shining at magnitude 0.3 in western Capricornus. After this date, the planet dips even lower, becoming harder to find.Īcross the sky, two bright planets are well placed in the southeast for viewing. Begin searching shortly after sunset, because you know by now that Mercury sets quickly. 21, with Mercury about a half magnitude brighter than its stellar companion.
Mercury and Spica stand 1.5° apart on Sept. Thirty minutes after sunset, Mercury is less than 3.5° high. Use the Moon and Venus to aid in finding Mercury, still close to the horizon and 13° to the lower right of the Moon. Look with binoculars about 5° directly below the Moon to find Spica. 9, the waxing crescent Moon stands just under 4° north of Venus, a stunning pair in the celestial blue of twilight. The planet outshines Spica (magnitude 1), which appears between Venus, the brightest planet in the sky, and Mercury.īy Sept. Look for the Moon in binoculars, then scan downward to find Mercury. Try the more favorable evening of the 8th, when a fatter crescent Moon stands 5° nearly due north of Mercury 30 minutes after sunset. A one-day-old Moon lies closer to due west but sets within 50 minutes of the Sun, so a clear western horizon and transparent skies are needed to see it. 7, Mercury stands slightly south of due west. On the 1st, it stands 3.5° high in the western sky. Look for Mercury 30 minutes after local sunset. The planet shines at magnitude 0.2 on the 13th and then slowly dims, reaching 0.7 by the 27th. This is because the ecliptic forms a very shallow angle to the horizon. Mercury is not particularly well placed for Northern Hemisphere observers as it reaches its greatest elongation east of the Sun (27°) Sept. Uranus and Neptune are best viewed in binoculars or a telescope.Įlusive Mercury tries to hide from us, but dedicated observers should successfully find it in evening twilight. Both planets are well placed all evening. Mercury and Venus hug the western horizon soon after sunset, while Jupiter and Saturn provide a dazzling spectacle in the southeast.
Sky and telescope mercury transit full#
Six major planets are in view before midnight during September, offering a full range of binocular and telescopic sights.
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