Astronomy - September 2015

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'