{"id":48769,"date":"2023-08-29T13:30:22","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T13:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/7ad3a307-4e40-4c49-a90f-c239b27d55d5"},"modified":"2023-08-29T13:32:31","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T13:32:31","slug":"what-to-see-in-the-night-sky-tonight-september-2023","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/what-to-see-in-the-night-sky-tonight-september-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"What to see in the night sky tonight, September 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">What can you see in the night sky tonight? Find out what&#8217;s on view in our monthly stargazing guide. <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Pete Lawrence\n      <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Tuesday, 29 August 2023 at 13:30 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>What&#8217;s in the night sky tonight?<\/p> <p>Those of us who enjoy stargazing and observing the night sky can&#8217;t always plan when and where we&#8217;re going to get the chance to gaze upwards.<\/p> <p>Busy schedules, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/light-pollution-astronomy\/\">light pollution<\/a>, the weather: sometimes finding even just 30 minutes to stand and stare up at a clear, dark night sky and take in the planets, stars and constellations can be a feat in itself.<\/p> <p>So when you do find the time, you&#8217;ll need to know what&#8217;s visible in the night sky tonight, and the best things to look out for when stargazing.<\/p> <p><em><strong>Complete newcomer? Read our guides to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/top-astronomy-kit\/best-telescopes-beginners\/\">best telescopes for beginners<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/astronomy-for-beginners\/\">astronomy for beginners<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Milky Way over Namthing Pokhri Lake Basudeb Chakrabarti, West Bengal, India, 13 March 2022 Equipment: Nikon D5200 DSLR, Tokina 11\u201316mm lens, tripod<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Here&#8217;s our stargazing guide to what you can see in the night sky tonight.<\/p> <p>Our guide is centred around what&#8217;s visible from the UK, but all northern hemisphere observers should be able to use it, with the odd adjustment to stated times.<\/p> <p>In our guide, we useUniversal Time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST). UT is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. BST is one hour ahead of UT<\/p> <p class=\"p3\">We also use RA (Right ascension)and dec. (declination).<\/p> <p class=\"p3\">These coordinates are the night sky\u2019s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial \u2018globe\u2019.<\/p> <p class=\"p3\">For help with these, read our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/skills\/a-guide-to-celestial-coordinates\/\">celestial coordinates<\/a>.<\/p> <p><em><strong>For more advice, read our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/skills\/stargazing-top-tips\/\">how to stargaze<\/a> or sign up to receive the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/newsletter\/\">BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter<\/a> for weekly tips delivered directly to your email inbox.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What to see in the night sky, June 2023\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/25BteT0X0Ro?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<\/div><\/figure> <h2 id=\"h-what-s-visible-in-the-night-sky-tonight\"><strong>What&#8217;s visible in the night sky tonight?<\/strong><\/h2> <h3 id=\"h-sunday-27-august\"><strong>Sunday 27 August<\/strong><\/h3> <p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/skills\/how-see-planets-night-sky-august\/\">Saturn reaches opposition<\/a> today. It\u2019s currently shining at mag. +0.3 and from the centre of the UK reaches an altitude of 25\u00b0 when due south.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Small\/medium scope:<\/strong> Reflector\/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-thursday-31-august\"><strong>Thursday 31 August<\/strong><\/h3> <p class=\"p1\">Today sees the second full Moon of the month which, although not technically correct, is known in popular culture as a Blue Moon. As it is also a perigee full Moon, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/space-science\/supermoon-what-when-next\/\">supermoon<\/a>, it has gained the name Super Blue Moon.<\/p> <p>Find out how to see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/super-blue-moon-august-2023\/\">August Super Blue Moon<\/a>.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Naked eye:<\/strong> Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h2 id=\"h-september-2023\"><strong>September 2023<\/strong><\/h2> <p>Out looking at the night sky tonight? Here is our pick of some of the celestial highlights this month.<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-autumn-equinox\"><strong>Autumn equinox<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2020\/09\/Autumn-equinox-d59316e.jpg\" alt=\"Equinoxes occur when the Sun crosses the celestial equator. For Earth, this is the point that the planet\u2019s axis points neither towards nor away from the Sun. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine\" class=\"wp-image-52929\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The September <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/space-science\/autumn-equinox-when-is-what-means\">autumn equinox<\/a> occurs at 07:50 BST (06:50 UT) on 23 September, the time when the centre of the Sun\u2019s disc crosses the celestial equator, the apparent movement of the Sun moving it from the northern to southern half of the sky.<\/p> <p>This is the time of year when the length of night grows at its fastest rate.\u00a0<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-harvest-moon\"><strong>Harvest Moon<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-520562136.jpg?fit=800%2C534\" alt=\"Harvest Moon rising above storm clouds, western Colorado, USA. Credit: Doug Meek\" class=\"wp-image-138639\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harvest Moon rising above storm clouds, western Colorado, USA. Credit: Doug Meek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The nearest full Moon to the equinox is the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/harvest-moon\">Harvest Moon<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p> <p>At this time of year, the geometry that dictates when the fuller phases of the Moon rise reduces the difference between moonrise times from one night to the next.<\/p> <p>The average difference is around 50 minutes, whereas the difference over 27, 28 and 29 September is just 13 minutes.\u00a0<\/p> <p>The full Moon on 29 September is also close to perigee, the point in the Moon\u2019s orbit when our natural satellite is at its closest to Earth.<\/p> <p>This makes the Moon look slightly larger and brighter than an average full Moon.<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-thin-crescent-moon\"><strong>Thin crescent Moon<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1800\" height=\"2300\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/Moon-Mosaic-16-Dec-2012-e18fc8e.jpg\" alt=\"Crescent Moon Mosaic 16 December 2012 by Grant Ritchie, Edinburgh, Scotland. Equipment: Celestron NexStar 5se, DFK21AU04.AS CCD.\" class=\"wp-image-2888\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credit: Grant Ritchie, Edinburgh, Scotland.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In contrast to the brash, bold appearance of this full Moon, a thin waxing or waning crescent Moon is delicate and can be tricky to see when it\u2019s really thin.<\/p> <p>On the morning of 14 September there is a prime example, a 0.6%-lit waning crescent Moon, 6.2\u00ba to the left and slightly below Mercury as seen from the UK.<\/p> <p>This thinnest of crescents will be extremely difficult to see, rising one hour before the Sun above the eastern horizon.\u00a0<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-constellations-and-asterisms\"><strong>Constellations and asterisms<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"751\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/05\/summer-triangle-star-chart-72509d9.jpg\" alt=\"A star chart showing the location of the Summer Triangle in the night sky\" class=\"wp-image-109070\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A star chart showing the location of the Summer Triangle in the night sky. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When the Moon is absent, September\u2019s stars are superb, especially from a dark sky site.<\/p> <p>The <strong>Summer Triangle<\/strong> is still very evident and from a dark sky location, the summer <strong>Milky Way<\/strong> is visible running southwest through it.<\/p> <p>The Milky Way\u2019s core, west of the Teapot asterism in Sagittarius, can also be seen, its visible longevity given a boost by the nights getting longer from one night to the next.\u00a0<\/p> <p>East of Sagittarius is the roughly triangular form of <strong>Capricornus, the Sea Goat<\/strong>, an ancient constellation characterised by two pairs of medium bright stars marking the east and west vertices.\u00a0<\/p> <p><strong>Aquarius, the Water Bearer<\/strong> stretches north of Capricornus to the area over towards the east, and despite its large size, is not that well defined apart from a small asterism known as the <strong>Water Jar<\/strong>.<\/p> <p>A modern take on this pattern describes this as the Steering Wheel. It appears as a central star surrounded by three stars at 120\u00ba intervals.<\/p> <p>East of the Water Jar lies <strong>the Circlet<\/strong>, a ring of faint stars representing the western fish of <strong>Pisces, the Fishes<\/strong>.<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-planets\"><strong>Planets<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"448\" height=\"448\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/09\/08.SaturnPadraigConnor-5fbaa0a.jpg\" alt=\"Saturn at opposition Padraig Connor, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 18th July 2022 Equipment: ZWO ASI224MC planetary camera, SkyWatcher 200P, Dobsonian mount\" class=\"wp-image-112008\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Saturn at opposition, by Padraig Connor, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 18 July 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<p><strong>Saturn<\/strong> and <strong>Neptune<\/strong> are currently in the area too.<\/p> <p>Neptune reaches opposition on 20 September but this position, on the opposite side of the sky, makes little difference to the appearance of this dim and distant world.<\/p> <p>You\u2019ll need at least binoculars to see Neptune.<\/p> <p>One benefit of opposition is that the planet is visible all night long. It\u2019s currently in Pisces, located south and slightly east of the centre of the Circlet.\u00a0<\/p> <p>Saturn is also in Aquarius, south of the Water Jar, visible as a bright, off-white coloured star.<\/p> <p>Head south from Saturn and slightly east to arrive at the most southerly first magnitude star visible from the UK, <strong>Fomalhaut<\/strong> (Alpha (\u03b1) Piscis Austrinus).<\/p> <p>This star only gets to an altitude of 7.5\u00ba from the centre of the UK when due south, so make sure you don\u2019t have any obstructions in that direction.<\/p> <h2 id=\"h-september-2023-night-by-night\"><strong>September 2023, night-by-night<\/strong><\/h2> <p>Our daily guide to what&#8217;s visible in the night sky tonight.<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-friday-1-september\"><strong>Friday 1 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The Alpha Aurigid meteor shower reaches its peak today.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Naked eye:<\/strong> Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted<\/li>\n<\/ul> <p>The \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/sundial-equation-time\">equation of time<\/a>\u2019 \u2013 the difference between time reported by the artificial \u2018mean Sun\u2019 and the apparent Sun \u2013 equals zero, meaning sundial shadows report the correct time today!\u00a0<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-monday-4-september\"><strong>Monday 4 September<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1874\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/9DB203C1-2964-4C34-BF19-4026831D3634-bc7d9ac.jpeg\" alt=\"Moon from North Tenerife by Peter Louer, Tenerife. Equipment: Canon 700D, Canon 100-400mm lens, Yongnuo 2X converter\" class=\"wp-image-14120\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credit: Peter Louer, Tenerife.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>T<\/strong>his evening has a 70%-lit waning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/astrophotography\/moon\/gibbous-moon\">gibbous Moon<\/a> located 3.3\u00b0 northeast of mag. \u20132.5 Jupiter. Catch the pair rising above the east-northeast horizon from around 22:00 BST (21:00 UT).<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Naked eye:<\/strong> Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-tuesday-5-september\"><strong>Tuesday 5 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The waning gibbous Moon sits near Uranus and Jupiter (see page 46), occulting mag. +4.3 Botein (Delta (\u03b4) Arietis) around 04:45 BST (03:45 UT).<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Binoculars:<\/strong> 10&#215;50 recommended<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <p>This evening the 60%-lit Moon sits near the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/stars\/star-clusters\/pleiades\">Pleiades<\/a>.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Naked eye:<\/strong> Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-wednesday-6-september\"><strong>Wednesday 6 September<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2020\/09\/Lunar-libration-6de3047.jpg\" alt=\"Thanks to lunar libration we can observe slightly more than half of the Moon\u2019s surface. Credit: Pete Lawrence\" class=\"wp-image-54323\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thanks to lunar libration we can observe slightly more than half of the Moon\u2019s surface. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This morning\u2019s 58%-lit waning gibbous Moon has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/skills\/lunar-libration-what-is\">lunar libration<\/a> that favours the southern polar region.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Small\/medium scope:<\/strong> Reflector\/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-thursday-7-september\"><strong>Thursday 7 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>An opportunity to see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/skills\/clair-obscur-effects-on-moon\">clair-obscur effect<\/a> known as Gruithuisen\u2019s Lunar City occurs this evening, with optimum conditions around midnight BST (23:00 UT).<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Small\/medium scope:<\/strong> Reflector\/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-friday-8-september\"><strong>Friday 8 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The Moon has moved sufficiently out of the way for deep-sky observing<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-saturday-9-september\"><strong>Saturday 9 September<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/M67-S%2540N-b890ad8-e1599137120465.jpg\" alt=\"M67 - Open Cluster in Cancer by Bill McSorley, Leeds, UK. Equipment: SW 150P Newtonian, EQ5 GoTo Mount, QHY8L cooled CCD.\" class=\"wp-image-3396\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">M67 &#8211; Open Cluster in Cancer by Bill McSorley, Leeds, UK.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>M<\/strong>agnitude \u20134.4 Venus currently sits 0.9\u00b0 south of the seventh-magnitude open cluster M67 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/cancer-constellation\">Cancer<\/a>. <\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Small\/medium scope:<\/strong> Reflector\/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-monday-11-september\"><strong>Monday 11 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Early risers will catch a 12%-lit waning crescent Moon 3.3\u00b0 north of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/stars\/star-clusters\/beehive-cluster\">Beehive Cluster<\/a>, M44. Magnitude \u20134.4 Venus sits 9.4\u00b0 south-southeast of the cluster too.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Binoculars:<\/strong> 10&#215;50 recommended<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-thursday-14-september\"><strong>Thursday 14 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p><strong>A<\/strong> chance to spot a thin Moon occurs this morning, with a less than 1%-lit waning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/astrophotography\/moon\/crescent-moon-guide\">crescent Moon<\/a> rising one hour before sunrise. Mag. +1.8 Mercury sits 6.3\u00b0 to the right of the Moon.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Binoculars:<\/strong> 10&#215;50 recommended<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-monday-18-september\"><strong>Monday 18 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Visible in the morning sky, Venus is currently at its brightest, shining at around mag. \u20134.5.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Naked eye:<\/strong> Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-wednesday-20-september\"><strong>Wednesday 20 September<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/08\/Great-Square-of-Pegasus-how-to-find-30cabe0.jpg\" alt=\"A diagram showing the location of the Great Square of Pegasus asterism in the night sky\" class=\"wp-image-99567\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Once you&#8217;ve found the Circlet, you can use it to help you find the Great Square of Pegasus. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Neptune reaches <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/what-is-opposition-astronomy\">opposition<\/a> today, when it will be at mag. +7.8, south of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/circlet-star-pattern\">Circlet<\/a> asterism in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/advice\/constellation-pisces\">Pisces<\/a>.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Binoculars:<\/strong> 10&#215;50 recommended<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-friday-22-september\"><strong>Friday 22 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Mercury reaches greatest western elongation. At this time it\u2019ll be separated from the Sun by 17.9\u00b0 and visible in the morning sky at mag. \u20130.3.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Binoculars:<\/strong> 10&#215;50 recommended<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-saturday-23-september\"><strong>Saturday 23 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The centre of the Sun crosses the celestial equator at 07:50 BST (06:50 UT), the Sun moving from the northern celestial hemisphere to the southern celestial hemisphere. This instant in time marks the Northern Hemisphere\u2019s autumn equinox.\u00a0<\/p> <h3 id=\"h-sunday-24-september\"><strong>Sunday 24 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The 72%-lit waxing gibbous Moon this evening has libration that favours the northern polar region.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Small\/medium scope:<\/strong> Reflector\/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-monday-25-september\"><strong>Monday 25 September<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1050\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/07\/Mare-humorum-moon-6465049.jpg\" alt=\"The Moon's Mare humorum. Credit: Pete Lawrence\" class=\"wp-image-98364\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Moon&#8217;s Mare Humorum. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now&#8217;s the time to observe crater Vitello on the southern shore of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/astrophotography\/moon\/mare-humorum\">Mare Humorum<\/a>. The two windows of opportunity to see it at its best occur on 9\u201310 September and tonight and the next night, 25\u201326 September.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Small\/medium scope:<\/strong> Reflector\/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-wednedsay-27-september\"><strong>Wednedsay 27 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>This morning at around 02:30 BST (01:30 UT), as it approaches setting, the 91%-lit waxing gibbous Moon will lie 3.6\u00b0 from mag. +0.5 Saturn.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Naked eye:<\/strong> Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <h3 id=\"h-friday-29-september\"><strong>Friday 29 September<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The Moon is full at 10:57 BST (09:57 UT), just 32 hours 52 minutes after it reaches perigee, its closest point to Earth. This makes today\u2019s full Moon a perigee full Moon. Being closest to the September equinox, it\u2019s the Harvest Moon for 2023.<\/p> <p><strong>How to see it:<\/strong><\/p> <ul>\n<li><strong>Naked eye:<\/strong> Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted<\/li> <li><strong>Photo opp:<\/strong> Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR<\/li>\n<\/ul> <p><strong><em>This guide originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What can you see in the night sky tonight? 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