Moon
1st Quarter -----4th 15:02 to 22:39
Full ------------- 12th 18:57 to 06:43
Last Quarter --- 20th 23:01 to 15:12
New ------------- 27th 07:03 to 18:19
Planets.
Neptune rises on the 1st in bright twilight at 7:45pm in the ESE, setting at 5am, again in brightening dawn twilight, so we have it all night exactly. At month’s end it rises at 6:45pm and sets at
Uranus also rises on the 30th, at 6:45pm in darkening dusk and sets at 6:30am in brightening dawn twilight. Available all night.
Jupiter is up at 9:45pm on the 1st, in a darker sky, now that we’re past the very short nights of summer. It reaches culmination at 5am having risen to 49° high in the south as dawn breaks. It rises about 8pm on the 30th, as evening twilight darkens, good timing there. Dawn breaks before it sets so we’ll be able to see it all night. Much longer nights now too.
Mars gets up at 1:30am on the 1st, within 7° of slightly brighter Pollux to it’s left. But we only have 3 hours or so before dawn overtakes it and brightens the sky too much to see it. Still tiny at 5arcsec, it rises at the same time at the end of the month, but only a little bit brighter. Dawn twilight overtakes it again at about 6am.
Venus isn’t a good target this month at all, as it’s too close to the Sun for reasonable safety. Give it a miss this month.
Mercury will rise an hour and a half before the Sun on the 1st, at 4:45am in the east. At mag 0.2 and 8 arcsec with a 36% phase, it’s worth the effort of getting up early. It gets closer and closer to the Sun as the month advances, but it gets brighter and fuller too. Don’t seek it after the middle of the month as it’s too close to the Sun and in brighter dawn twilight.
Meteor Showers.
None to speak of with enthusiasm, other than the Sporadics.
Comets.
C 2009/P1 Garradd is visible in Sagitta going towards Hercules, and visible in small instruments, but not naked eye. It’s slowing down, so easier to photograph.