Exciting month, astronomically speaking

We have entered the ninth month of the year and I find myself wondering, what happened to the other eight; anymore they seem to fly by so quickly.

Be that as it may, September will be a very exciting month astronomically speaking. There is a lot going on, all the way from watching a very slender crescent moon dancing with some planets in the morning, to the autumnal equinox, the return of the Zodiacal Light, the closest moon of the year, and a total lunar eclipse, and an opportunity to get out and just look at the moon.

Wow, that is a lot to say in one breath.

Okay, let's get started.

Tomorrow morning, Sept. 10th, about an hour before local sunrise, we have the opportunity to see a very slender crescent moon located right between two planets -- bright Venus on the right and much dimmer Mars on the left.

We can see them together because Mars and Venus are on the same side of the Sun, however, Venus is the next planet toward the Sun from Earth, and Mars is the next planet out away from the Sun from Earth.

If we go out a half-hour earlier we will catch Jupiter just above the eastern horizon. Draw a line from Mars, through the bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion, on down to Jupiter.

Although you might not be able to see it, if you are out at about 6 a.m. MDT the next morning -- Sept. 11th, an even slimmer moon will be very close to Regulus and just above Jupiter.

As for the rest of the stuff, Autumn arrives at 2:21 am MDT on Sept. 23, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south, the Zodiacal Light--the light of the Sun reflecting off the billions and billions of dust particles orbiting in the plane of the solar system--returns for a grand morning appearance.

I have saved the best for the last, a grand total lunar eclipse on Sunday, Sept. 27, just after moonrise in the evening.

SKYWATCH: New Moon. Sunday, September 13. Venus, Mars, and a crescent moon in the early morning of September 10; the moon at apogee (farthest from Earth for the month on Monday, Sept. 14.

NEXT WEEK: Let's look at the moon, and more astronomical blathering.