Forecast for September 2014


 

 

 

We’ve passed the longest day so things should be getting better, but they aren’t of course. Though the nights are getting longer and darker, so there is hope for better conditions to come. Lots of things to update and get ready for a full winter half of the year.

Planets

Mercury will be an evening object, setting about 20 mins after the Sun, at mag -0.2, a 5 arcsec disc 82% illuminated. By the end of the month it will have moved southwards from the Sun, and though a little safer to observe it will still set within 20 mins of it. Not a good appearance this month.
Venus on the other hand will be the Morning Star, rising at 5:00am, an hour before the Sun at a bright mag -3.9/10 arcsec. By mid-month little will have changed in it's appearance but it will have drawn closer to the Sun, so will give us less than an hour to observe from 5:40am. On the 30th it will be still closer to the Sun, allowing us only 30 mins to gaze at the unchanged disc, from 6:30am.
On the first, Mars will set at 9:40pm, about 2 hours after the Sun, a mag 0.6/7 arcsec disc, in the gathering gloom. On the 15th it will be a little smaller and dimmer, and by the 30th, it will be yet dimmer but well away from the Sun's setting position so not difficult to find among the trees on the horizon, but too small to see much detail.
Jupiter will rise on the 1st, at 3:40am, a mag -1.8/32 arcses disc, almost 3 hours before the Sun. A good start for the month. On the 15th, it will rise at 3:00am, a little bigger and brighter, but not by much. It will be available for about 2 hours before the dawn twilight starts to hide it. At the end of the month it will present a mag -1.9/34 arcsec disc, and will rise at 2:15am. Dawn will not overtake it for some 3 and a half hours.
Saturn will be within 5° of Mars so will set about 2 hours after the Sun, but so close to the horizon as to make it a poor visual sight. As the month progresses the situation will worsen, giving less and less time to observe.
Uranus's little blue mag 5.7/4 arcsec disc will rise on the 1st, at 9:00pm in darkening twilight and continue to be observable till about 5:00am as dawn twilight snuffs it out. Similarly at mid-month it will rise at 8:00pm and be extinguished by dawn twilight about 5:30am. At the end of the month it will rise at 7:00pm and be there for us till about 6:00am.
Neptune's even smaller blue disc (mag 7.8'2 arcsec), will be rising on the 1st at 7:45pm, among the stars of Aquarius. It will be difficult to see till the sky darkens enough at about 9:00pm. It will set at 6:00am in dawn twilight. On the 16th it will rise at 7:00pm in twilight and set at 5:00am, in dark skies. At the end of the month it will rise at 6:00pm but not be visible till about an hour later when the sky has darkened enough. It will set at 3:45am in good dark skies. At the end of the month it will rise at 6:00pm, but not be visible till an hour later as the sky darkens. It will set at 4:00am, in dark skies.
 

Meteor Showers. Not much in the way of meteor showers this month. Only one shower peaking in September and that it a faint one with a maximum of 5/hour at the top of the sky, the Epsilon Persei shower. Perseus is circum-polar so the radiant can be seen all night, but the Moon will be full though in the south. A mixed set of circumstances but overall a poor and faint shower. 

Comets. C/2014 E2 Jacques is still there to see, but fading. No longer a visual object at mag 11, but still photographically available as it speeds down the spine of the Swan towards the head along the Milky Way. By the 14th it will be beside Albireo at mag 12.5. An opportunity to photograph it in good company, and it isn't running so fast here.

No others of note this month.

 

The south is again the best area to look, for bright nebulosity, M17, M16, Globular clusters, M22, M14, M12, M10, open clusters, M11, M26 and lots more. Just sweeping with big binoculars will be rewarding. And this is your last chance to look at the middle of the Milky Way. In the east to south you'll find Orion and Monoceros, with Gemini and Taurus with their jewels.

If you need a star chart of this or any other area, get in touch with me at the observatory.

Any questions, email me at the observatory.

Good Hunting.