PATHOF THE
PLANETS
The planets
in the sky
These illustrations show the size, phase, and orientation of each planet and the two brightest dwarf planets
for the dates in the data table at bottom. South is at the top to match the view through a telescope.
The planets in September 2015
EQU
LAC
AQR
MIC
AND
TRI
ARI
PER
AUR
TAU
ORI
PEG
PSC
CET
SCL
PHE
FOR
HOR
CAE
COL
ERI
LEP
LY N
GEM
CNC
MON
PUP
PYX
VEL
ANT
CRT HYA
SEX
LEO
CRV
COM
UMa
CVn LMi
PsA
CMI
CMa
Objects visible before dawn
Celestial equator
Path of the M
oon
Path^ of^ the^ Sun (ecliptic)
Sun
Moon phases Dawn Midnight
Uranus
Neptune
Jupiter
Mars
Papagena
Comet 67P/Churyumov-
Gerasimenko
Venus shines at its brightest
in September’s morning sky
Asteroid Vesta reaches
opposition September 28
Asteroid Metis reaches
opposition September 5
A total lunar eclipse
occurs September 27/28
cross the Americas,
Europe, and Africa
Amphitrite
Eunomia
Lutetia
15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
30 29 28 27 26 25
Venus
Mercury Mars
Ceres
Uranus
Saturn
Neptune
Pluto
10"
S
WE
N
Jupiter
40 ASTRONOMY • SEPTEMBER 2015
Planets MERCURY VENUS MARS CERES JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO
Date Sept. 1 Sept. 15 Sept. 15 Sept. 15 Sept. 15 Sept. 15 Sept. 15 Sept. 15 Sept. 15
Magnitude 0.1 –4.8 1.8 8.4 –1.7 0.6 5.7 7.8 14.2
Angular size 6. 8 " 42. 0 " 3. 8 " 0. 6" 31. 0 " 16 .1" 3.7 " 2 .4" 0.1"
Illumination 60% 22% 98% 98% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Distance (AU) from Earth 0.994 0.397 2.460 2.296 6.361 10.330 19.089 28.985 32.571
Distance (AU) from Sun 0.466 0.726 1.644 2.962 5.393 9.996 19.985 29.962 32.947
Right ascension (2000.0) 12h14.9m 9h05.2m 9h44.7m 19h56.3m 10h37.2m 15h51.1m 1h12.4m 22h39.1m 18h54.8m
Declination (2000.0) –3°40' 10°4 4' 14°51' –31°41' 9°40' –18°18' 6°57' –9°24' –21°0 0'