stargazing in September
In the Sky This Month
September 1: Kwu
To the people of Polynesia, the stars of Cassiopeia and Andromeda represented a dolphin, called Kwu. Cassiopeia formed its tail, while the brightest stars of Andromeda formed its fins. Andromeda’s fainter stars outlined the dolphin’s body.
September 2: Gamma Cephei
Gamma Cephei forms the peak of the northern constellation Cepheus, the king. The constellation looks like a child’s drawing of a house, with Gamma Cephei at the point of the roof. The system consists of two stars and at least one planet.
September 3: Neptune at Opposition
The planet Neptune is putting on its best showing of the year. It rises at sunset, is in the sky all night, in Aquarius, and shines brightest for the year. Even so, it’s so faint that you need a telescope to see it. It is near the Moon tonight.
September 4: Zenith
Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, passes high overhead this evening. From the middle latitudes of the United States, in fact, it passes directly overhead, which is the point in the sky called the zenith.
Heart of an Exploded Star Observed in 3-D
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The rest of the month is here