OBSERVING
September 2019
EVENING: The fi rst-quarter
Moon and Jupiter hang in the
south-southwest above the
Scorpion’s heart, Antares, after
sunset. Watch as they sink
toward the horizon and set before
midnight.
DUSK: The Moon, Jupiter,
and Saturn grace the sky above
the tail of Scorpius. Watch as the
Moon follows Jupiter to the horizon,
setting near midnight.
EVENING: Algol shines at
minimum brightness for roughly two
hours centered at 11:05 p.m. PDT.
DUSK: Golden Saturn glows
upper right of the waxing gibbous
Moon, hanging above the Teapot of
Sagittarius.
DUSK: Find the fattening
gibbous Moon and slew some 7°°
to the right or lower right to spot
Saturn — Moon and planet hover
above and left of the Teapot’s
handle.
EVENING: Algol shines at
minimum brightness for roughly two
hours centered at 10:54 p.m. EDT.
DAWN: If you’re up before
sunrise, look high in the southern
sky toward Taurus to see the
waning gibbous Moon in the
Hyades, not far right of Aldebaran.
66789520MORNING: The Moon is in
Gemini and forms a triangle with
Castor and Pollux.AUTUMN BEGINS in the
Northern Hemisphere at the
equinox, 3:50 a.m. EDT.MORNING: The waning
crescent Moon is equidistant
from the Beehive Cluster (M44) in
Cancer, appearing to the cluster’s
upper right on the 24th, then to its
lower left the next morning.DAWN: The thin sliver of the
Moon is in Leo, a mere 3° left of
Regulus.DAWN: At northern latitudes,
the zodiacal light is visible in the
east beginning some two hours
before morning twilight. Look for
a tall pyramid of dim light tilted
toward the right, stretching up
through Cancer and Gemini
to Taurus. Find a dark
viewing spot to enjoy this
phenomenon over the next
two weeks.232626EVENING: Algol shines at
minimum brightness for roughly two
hours centered at 9:34 p.m. PDT.
— DIANA HANNIKAINENqAround the equinoxes, the setting Sun
casts a shadow in a certain suggestive
way on the El Castillo pyramid at Chichén
Itzá in the Yucatán. The head of a serpent
is at the bottom of the steps, and the set-
ting Sun contributes to the illusion of the
Feathered Serpent, Kukulkán.
WU SWEE ONG / MOMENT / GETTY IMAGESskyandtelescope.com • SEPTEMBER 2019 41
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