Star Diary podcast<\/a> page and never miss an episode!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nTranscript<\/h1>\n
Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>Greetings, listeners, and welcome to Radio Astronomy\u2019s guide to the best things to see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky in September 2021. I\u2019m news editor Ezzy Pearson. And I\u2019m joined on the podcast today by reviews editor Paul Money. He\u2019s going to be telling us the best sites to catch this month. So, Paul, what are your recommendations for September 2021?<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>Well, we\u2019ve got a good month. So the thing about September is that we really start getting back into the dark skies. Yay! I, I\u2019m not a great sunbather, you understand. So give me the night skies any time. So now we\u2019re back to September. It\u2019s great. And we kick off actually with an unusual pair of events because it\u2019s not often you get an occultation of two different stars, one after the other on successive mornings. And it just so happens that the path of the moon going around us is tilted to the ecliptic and it goes through Gemini. And as it happens, there\u2019s quite a few decent stars that have the potential to be occulted. And that\u2019s what happens this time. So we\u2019ve got Epsilon Geminorum on 2 September. Now, these are I mean, I have to say, you have to get these Ezzy. I know. I know. I mean, set an alarm or what not, but these are early morning ones. So I\u2019ll just it\u2019s easier for me just to stay up because if I go to bed, I\u2019m doomed. You know, that saying I\u2019ll hit the alarm and go back to sleep. So I have to stay up.<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>The astronomer\u2019s conundrum \u2013 to stay up all night or to get up early.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>Exactly. So, I mean, the choices we have to make is terrible, isn\u2019t it? So yes. But this is worth getting up for because, you know, I mean, it\u2019s a bright star for a start. And so you\u2026 it\u2019s actually called Mebsuta, And it takes about an hour or so. And I always like to say, look, start before it. So you really have to be looking in the morning sky. I\u2019d start at about 1:00 a.m. It\u2019s always best to get familiar with the area, although I have to say, if you have difficulty finding the moon, then you might need to take up a new hobby. I\u2019ve always thought of any event involve the moon. If you can\u2019t find the moon, yes, you need to do something else or it\u2019s probably completely overcast. So I always like to give myself plenty of time before these events because anything could go wrong. You know what it\u2019s like with equipment sort of thing. You might see this with binoculars. Now, the thing about binoculars is that the disappearance is on the daylight side for both events, for both mornings. So this is 2 September with Mebsuta, as I look around about 1:00 a.m. and keep glancing at Mebsuta and the moon and you\u2019ll see the moon creeping closer. I love these because it shows the solar system in motion, doesn\u2019t it? You know, you really realise that, you know, things actually do move. We\u2019re so used to the night sky not appearing to move. That much will change that. When you see the moon creeping up to the star, you feel, \u201clook out, star, there\u2019s a moon behind you\u201d. Well, it\u2019s actually going to be in front because then it crosses over the star. So the disappearance being on the bright side is interesting because it\u2019s harder to see the exact moment when it is gone. Whereas if it\u2019s on the night side sort of thing, the dark Terminator is a lot easier. So you\u2019d think the reappearance just over an hour or so later would be easy because it\u2019s on the dark side. It will suddenly appear. But the trouble is you have to really work out where it is on the limb because it might catch you. You might be looking at the wrong part of a limb of the moon sort of thing. Of course, it\u2019s dark, so it\u2019s very difficult to say. But you hope that there might be a little bit of Earthshine there by now because this is a thick waning crescent moon. So it\u2019s one of those things that there might be enough of a glow with it for you to work out roughly where it\u2019s going to appear and then keep your gaze looking at this and time it, because these timings are still\u2026 their fascinating, because it gives you an idea of the clockwork mechanism of the solar system. So that\u2019s on the 2nd September. Then the next morning we treated to another one, Keppa Geminorum is actually occulted. And so this one\u2019s a bit late. I\u2019ve got to make the decision. Do I now set the alarm? Because they start looking about 3:30 in the morning. And again, it\u2019s about an hour. These vary slight. So, again, depending on where you are in the UK are plus or minus ten minutes to the time sort of thing just to make sure. And so you\u2019re looking from about 3:30 till about 4:40, 4:45 in the morning. But the skies are still relatively dark there. So that\u2019s two occultation to kick us off with. And it\u2019s not often say you get to occultation on successive mornings like this. So and I say I like watching them because they are the clockwork mechanism of the solar system, the solar system in action itself. Now not content with that if we\u2026 Like I mean, I\u2019m sticking with the early morning, even though, you know, I know how hard it is to get up.<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>Sometimes the night sky just wants you to not go to sleep.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>Exactly. It just\u2026<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>it really doesn\u2019t like your sleep schedules.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>Exactly. It\u2019s conspiring against this isn\u2019t Ezzy, but the next morning, 4th September it\u2019s not an occultation, but in actual fact, the moon will be directly above, And it\u2019s a really thin crescent moon now, and it\u2019s about 4:00 a.m. Look at the Moon and below It will be the Beehive star cluster, Messier 44, Praesepe as it\u2019s known. So that\u2019s an extra bonus sort of thing. So if you\u2019ve got used to get it on the first two mornings, then then you should be easy to get up on the next one, says he\u2019s going to be fast asleep.<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>If\u00a0 your sleep schedules already ruined, you might as well stay up another night.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>Exactly. Sort of thing. You know, I have to admit if I do an all nighter now, it does get to me. I think he\u2019s my age. We won\u2019t go into that any more about my age. But I\u2019m beginning to realise why it\u2019s often easier to set an alarm now because staying up all night is not so much fun. Now, I used to enjoy them sort of thing, but and of course in the end. So most guys, if you stay up all night, it doesn\u2019t feel like such an ordeal. But as we September, because we\u2019re heading towards the equinox, which is on the 22nd this year and so equal day, equal night and we\u2019ll have longer nights. So half the night sort of thing will be dark. So long that out of style sort of thing. So yeah, I think I might set an alarm for 4th September Beehive and Moon conjunction as we see here. But let\u2019s, let\u2019s get back to the evening sky because I mean, I have to say the vast majority of people will tend to look in the evening sky. And we just can\u2019t get rid of it. I mean, Venus is still lingering that it\u2019s a quirk of the orbit and the tilt of its orbit and the angle of the ecliptic. And Venus just lingers in the twilight and it\u2019s been there months and it\u2019s still going to be there for quite a few more months yet. So you need to be looking around about.. Say, about thirty to forty minutes easily after sunset. So the star is getting at least reasonably dark. And then you\u2019ll spot Venus in the west southwest quite low down. But don\u2019t leave it too long because of course it sets so you lose it. But the thing about this is that in actual fact, on the 5th so we\u2019ve got a run of\u2026 This is on the evening of the 5th so don\u2019t get up in the morning for this, Venus isn\u2019t in the morning sky. It\u2019s In the evening twilight now, but on the 5th is actually above Spika or Spicer (Spica). Depends on how you want to pronounce it. But the thing about this is that that\u2019s Alpha Virginis is probably your last chance to see Spica actually at this time of the year. After that it will be lost. It\u2019ll be too close to the glare of the sun. So Venus is a brilliant guide, you know, and the evening stars sort of thing, which is not as dark as a planet and it\u2019s directly above Spica. Now, give it a few more days because as it happens, we get the crescent moon back into the evening sky and it\u2019s always try looking around about the 7th or 8th. See if you can see a really, really, really slim crescent moon. Because the thing about this is that it\u2019s a very ephemeral when it\u2019s a really thin crescent. But then on the 9th and 10th, it\u2019s either side and above Venus. So you\u2019ve got a nice pair in there. But of course, on the 9th, it\u2019s also quite reasonably close to Spica. So that might be a very, very, very last chance to see Spica as well. But obviously you\u2019ll see Venus. But again, you\u2019ll be wanting to be looking about the same sort of time. So Venus will have the moon, crescent moon to its right on the 9th and to its upper left on the 10th. And of course, on the 10th, the crescent will be a bit thicker because the moon is gradually building up its phase sort of thing. We\u2019re seeing more and more of the illuminated side. So at least that\u2019s in a decent time, isn\u2019t it? Sort of thing. For us to actually observe. actually does depend on your own local circumstances because it\u2019s very difficult for me because I have lots of buildings. So I\u2019d have to travel out, find somewhere in the Licolnshire Woldes to actually observe it. So I\u2019ve got a nice, decent flat\u2026 I have got a little site a couple of miles away so I can go to, so that\u2019s not too bad.<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>You do want to make sure that you\u2019ve got a nice, clear view of the horizon. If you\u2019re going to be trying to observe those at home.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>You can almost guarantee there\u2019s a house or a tree in the way or otherwise sort of thing. So can I say WSW is the direction you want to be looking for it. so that\u2019s the key. Now, the other thing we need to look for asteroids, minor planets, depending how you want to describe them sort of thing. I mean, there\u2019s over a million of them now and then the night sky. But the vast majority, of course, you can\u2019t see with an amateur instrument or binoculars. But we get a chance because Pallas, which was the second asteroid to actually be discovered, is actually an opposition on the 11th September. And so we actually see it in Pisces. It is below an asterism called the Circlet, that sort of thing, which is on the right hand side of the Fishes. Pisces, the fishes. It\u2019s below the square of Pegasus, so Pallas comes to opposition, so therefore it means it\u2019s visible all night. Now, it\u2019s not too far from Neptune. So we\u2019ll come to that in a short while because it means if Pallas\u2019s at opposition, it\u2019s reasonably close to Neptune and it may Neptune will soon be opposition as well. But Pallas first. If you\u2019ve never seen an asteroid or a minor planet, then binoculars will get a magnitude +8.5. So well within the reach of ordinary 10\u00d750 binoculars sort of thing. And it is slowly moving away from the Circlet down towards the Aquarius. So it\u2019s worth trying to get this sort of thing now while you can, because after this it starts to fade and opposition is always the time when these things are at their brightest. So magnitude 8.5, easy binoculars sort of thing. But after this it\u2019ll start to fade. And within about a month or so, he\u2019s down to magnitude 8.9. So getting fainter. So it\u2019s worth grabbing now. Now, as it happens the next day and we switch to the morning sky again. Because the thing about Palllas been opposition, by the way, is that it\u2019s visible. Once you reach opposition, you\u2019re opposite the sun in the sky. It rises as the sun sets and sets as the sun rises. In other words, it\u2019s visible all night. And so pick your moment to observe. But after this, it\u2019s interesting that Pallas moves into the evening sky. It\u2019s just a shame that it starts to fade. So I think this is one of the asteroids that actually fades quite well, really, unfortunately. So grab it around opposition time is the best time. But the next morning, so again, you might want to stay up. That\u2019s the 11th. On the 12th we\u2019re actually looking towards the early morning sky. And we\u2019ve got Taurus back I mean. And I can\u2019t wait to when I see Taurus in the morning is going because I know winter is on the way thing. So I\u2019m really cheerful to my friends. You know, when you consider I\u2019m always hankering for the winter sky. But the point about this is that we\u2019ve got the Hyades up, which has its bright star, Aldebaran, depending how you want to pronounce it. But the thing about that is the bright red eye of the bull, although it\u2019s an orange star. I always Think that\u2019s quite funny, but it does look reddy-orange doesn\u2019t it. The thing about this is that Ceres, now that was the first of the asteroids to be found sort of thing, but it\u2019s now classified as a dwarf planet. Ceres, since about mid-August has actually been gradually moving quite close, but under the higher the star cluster and on the 12th \u2013 you could say 11, 12 \u2013 is actually below Aldebaran. So in Taurus. So again, this is a similar magnitude as it happens, 8.6, at this particular point because it\u2019s not reached opposition position. It\u2019ll be a few months before Ceres reaches opposition and Bright and Ceres can get quite bright. So you can get two minor worlds in one night you could get Pallas at opposition, and then stay up until the early hours and grab Ceres in Hyades or below the Hyades. It will eventually, during October, November, actually pass through the Hyades as well. So it\u2019s staying in this general area. So it\u2019s a nice, easy patch of sky to recognise. So with binoculars you should be able to pick out night after night, one dot of light is moving compared with the other. And again, you get into clockwork motion of the solar system on display. Now we\u2019re still with the 12th because that evening\u2026 I said it\u2019s a busy month. We\u2019ve got a lot going on sort of thing.<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>Got two things in one night.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>I know, it\u2019s exciting sort of thing. So we\u2019ve got Jupiter. Jupiter and Saturn are much easier to see now in the evening sky. They\u2019ve moved into the sky since their opposition last month in August, Saturn was at opposition on 2 August and then Jupiter on 20 August. So Jupiter is gradually retrograding, and that means effectively for the layperson, it\u2019s moving from left to right sort of thing because we like to use to prograde, and retrograde for us astronomers don\u2019t mean a lot to the general public.<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>It\u2019s going the opposite direction that it does most of the time.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>Exactly. So that\u2019s why it\u2019s retrograde, rather than prograde, but as it does so on the 12th, again, it\u2019s actually directly above, several degrees away, but directly above Delta Capricorni. So it\u2019s a bright star Delta and Gamma I always find\u2026. as it moves on, when we get to the 20th, it\u2019s actually directly below the star 45 Capricorni and it\u2019s gradually heading towards the end of the month, forming a triangle, Delta and Gamma Capricorni. So this is a nice pattern anyway, but it\u2019s always great when it\u2019s reasonably close to another star as well. So that\u2019s the evening, the Jupiter line above Delta Capricorni on the 12th and then on the 20th when it will be a lot better place to see because it\u2019s amazing each passing day, or should say evening, it\u2019s amazing how much the sky is moving and creeping. That area is creeping into a better position to observe in the evening sky. So we have a bit of a gap. Two days! Good grief. So we jump to September the 14th and we mentioned now that Neptune was the opposition or will be opposition. September the 14th is actually opposition. But first things first. It\u2019s very hard in the evening sky, but mercury is also its greatest eastern elongation from the sun. The only problem with this is in very, very bright sun\u2026 Twilight and it\u2019s setting just 20 minutes after the sun. So I\u2019m always a bit nervous about observing\u00a0 mercury so close to the sun like this. But as long as you let the actual sun set literally look towards\u2026 Again, sort of the WSW, that general area look for it sort of thing, but make sure the sun has set whatever you do. So you might pick out mercury, but it\u2019s very difficult. This is not a very good apparition for this particular time in the US.<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>As always, if you are thinking about trying to do any kind of astronomy close to the sun, never look at the sun directly, especially don\u2019t look at the sun directly through optics like telescopes or binoculars, you can do yourself a lot of damage. So as Paul said, make sure the sun has really set before you start looking for Mercury.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>I mean, we want to keep observing, don\u2019t we? Don\u2019t we do not want to lose our eyesight sort of thing. As always, my perennial\u00a0 worry ever since I became an astronomer is you worry about your eyesight. I have to say so, yes. Protected as much as you possibly can. So that\u2019s mercury really difficult. But I say September the 14th is also Neptune\u2019s opposition night. So it now becomes visible all night and its magnitude 7, so easily visible in binoculars, so easy to see. It\u2019s interesting because he\u2019s actually passing through from 1st September. It\u2019s actually passing through a sort of like a diamond shape of stars. They\u2019ve all got Hipparcos numbers so I won\u2019t go into them.\u00a0 But there\u2019s a nice diamond shape of stars are sort of similar brightness and slightly brighter. So I always like to look for we love patterns, don\u2019t we? We\u2019ve got constellations. They just join the dots. But we have a habit as amateur astronomers of joining the dots on smaller and smaller scales, because we are we find patterns easier to recognis. If we can recognise a pattern, We can find some things in them. So in this case, is this nice diamond pattern that Neptune is passing through. At the end of the month, it passes quite close to Hipparcos 115953. So it worth looking at around the 22-24. But Neptune will be at opposition, so it\u2019s visible all night. So again you\u2019ve got another one and it\u2019s so close, it\u2019s only three days after Pallas. That\u2019s why I said when Pallas was the opposition on the 11th. They meant that Neptune was nearby. It had to be opposition within a few days. So things. So any objects within the same Right ascension line, they will reach opposition within a few days of each other. So there we are. So opposition for Neptune. Neptune it is officially the last planet of the solar system. So poor Pluto. But let\u2019s not get into that debate. But the thing is, I do find it looks bluish. I do find it better with a small telescope to look. Binoculars it\u2019s just a dot. But again, if you watch it with binoculars, you can see it moving slowly night after night. So you get an idea of which object actually it is. And that\u2019s why I say on the 22-24th, when it crosses that Hipparcos star, you\u2019ve got something that you can see slowly edging past. So that\u2019s always a good clue. But it may be the last planet, but if you get a chance to put a telescope, if you\u2019ve got a telescope. You know, medium size, six inch onwards sort of thing. Have a look. You might pick out Neptune\u2019s Moon, Triton as well. It is a challenge. Magnitude 13.5, but, you know, it is not an impossibility, so it might be another object, you can take off your little list. I\u2019ve got a list\u2026 Getting a big list now, but keep ticking these things off, the objects in the solar system. So we jump another couple of days. And this is a period of the 16th, the 18th. And we\u2019re back to, aren\u2019t we? We often have talked about the moon passing the planets. And it\u2019s been nice not to have the moon mentioned because it seems like some months it\u2019s only the moon doing anything. But we are back to the moon now. And so on the 16th, the moon is to the lower right of Saturn. Now, if you don\u2019t know where Saturn is and you don\u2019t know which object is Saturn, it is actually\u2026 it\u2019s and Jupiter, the brightest object in Capricorn. So in theory, shouldn\u2019t be able to mix it up. So when you get the moon down, the moon is to the lower right of Saturn. So when you look at that area, you\u2019ll see the moon, you\u2019ll see a bright star to the left and any fainter stars of the constellation itself. So Saturn should then be quite obvious. The moon then passes below it totally. Its orbit means that at the moment it\u2019s passing quite low below the actual ecliptic. So as it happens, it forms a triangle on the next night. So the apex pointing down between Jupiter and Saturn. So they formed the other corner of the triangle. So the moon\u2019s the 17th and then on the 18th when the moon is to the lower left of Jupiter. So you\u2019ve got this sequence of three nights where the moon passes and it guide you to these planets and of course, to the constellation of Capricorn as well. So say there\u2019s a lot going on, but we haven\u2019t finished quite with the moon because I always like it when it passes the sky objects and guides us. And we\u2019re back to Taurus. But we are in the morning star again and I\u2019ve suggested three to four anywhere from midnight to four a.m., four days on the 26 and 27th. And the moon will be directly below the Pleiades. The seven sisters. Now admitted to the moon light will wash out the body. You\u2019ll see a faint sparkle in the stars. So it\u2019s not as easy, but it will be. Then again, if you use binoculars, you could sweep up from the moon and you\u2019ll be able to sweep up the cluster. I\u2019ll tell you, it\u2019s quite excited. It gives you a bit of a thrill when you start off from the moon sort of thing and you wonder now and then suddenly you come across this cluster of stars that\u2019s just suspended in space. The sun use the moon to guide you to the Pleiades because I say they won\u2019t be as easy with the moonlight, but have binoculars, you\u2019ll be able to find them. And of course, in binoculars, even with moonlight, you should get around about 15 to 20 in 10\u00d750 binoculars. So there\u2019s quite a few bright side. What do you think of the Seven Sisters? But there\u2019s actually two hundred and fifty cluster members at least. Now, I\u2019m not expecting you to say that in binoculars, but\u2026<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>There\u2019s a bit of a big family reunion.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>It is a good family reunion. I can\u2019t imagine that many sisters. No, we won\u2019t go there. But the same binoculars, you should get around about 15, 20, and you will get more on a dark night once the moon\u2019s out of the way. But it does mean the moon is actually passing through Taurus. And it\u2019s interesting because, again, it doesn\u2019t occult it, but on the next night, on the 27th in the morning sky, it\u2019s actually quite close to Tau Tauri. I always think that is one of those tongue twisters\u2026 Tau Tauri sort of thing, because you\u2019ve got tau, which almost beginning the first three letters of Taurus itself. So Tau Tauri is there and the moon will be quite close to it. So if you\u2019ve never seen Tau Tauri or not realise which one it is, the moon guide you on the 27th. You can\u2019t miss it because there\u2019s this bright star next to the moon itself. So there is a lot going on. We call the main things. So, you know, is there anything you wanted to mention Ezzy<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>I think you have definitely given us enough to be going on with us? It is. It sounds like it\u2019s a pretty good month for planets both minor and major, as well as a couple of other interesting star events going on as well. Thanks very much for joining us today, Paul.<\/p>\nPaul Money <\/strong>It\u2019s a pleasure, and I hope everybody gets a chance to have some clear skies to observe.<\/p>\nEzzy Pearson <\/strong>\u00a0if you want to find out even more about the spectacular sights that will be gracing the night sky this month. Be sure to pick up a copy of BBC Sky Night magazine, where we have a 16 page Pull-Out Sky Guide, the full overview of everything that\u2019s worth looking up for in September 2021. Would you like to look at the moon, the planets or the deep sky, whether you use binoculars, telescopes or neither, our Sky Guide has got you covered with detailed star charts to help you find your way across the night sky. From all of us here at BBC Sky at night magazine, goodbye.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
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