New Mexico’s famously dark skies offer another celestial show this September. Bright planet pairings, shooting stars, a glowing Harvest Moon, and the start of autumn will be on display.
Early September brings a waning Moon, leading up to the New Moon on September 10 and 11.
Because the sky will be at its darkest, it is ideal for viewing faint stars, distant galaxies, and other deep-sky objects.
Around September 26, the Harvest Moon will rise near sunset and cast its golden light across New Mexico.
The September full Moon is traditionally associated with the autumn harvest. It will provide a spectacular sight for photographers, romantics, and anyone simply looking for an evening outdoors.
A parade of planets
Early risers can look forward to the mornings of September 6 to 8, when a thin crescent Moon will appear close to Mars and bright Jupiter low in the eastern sky.
Saturn is already standing out in the evening sky.
Another never-to-miss view involves a crescent moon and a super-bright planet. Right after sunset on September 13 and 14, the thin waxing moon will sweep past brilliant Venus, which is still at its greatest brilliancy this week.
Later in the month, another distant object will take center stage as Neptune reaches opposition around September 25-26. It will give skywatchers a rare opportunity to hunt down one of the solar system’s most distant worlds. For the best viewing of this giant planet, you’ll need binoculars or a telescope.
Shooting stars
September also brings a smaller but worthwhile meteor shower. The September epsilon-Perseids will peak around September 9 and 10, under nearly moonless skies.
Under ideal conditions, the meteor shower may produce up to eight meteors per hour, which is nowhere near the spectacular displays produced by the Perseids in August.
Still, New Mexico’s dark skies can turn even a modest meteor shower into something memorable. Away from city lights, each meteor can stand out brightly against the darkness.
The start of autumn
The autumn equinox arrives on the evening of September 22, marking the end of summer. Day and night will be nearly equal, and cooler evenings will begin.
And as evenings become cooler, September offers one of the most inviting times of the year to escape city lights and head into New Mexico’s wide-open spaces.
New Mexico is the ideal place for those who want to escape the city lights. Its stargazing locations across its vast landscape become an extraordinary window into the universe.
