Astronomy

Virginia Skylines

Virginia Skylines is a weekly radio program written and narrated by Leslie Bochenski, astronomer at the Science Museum of Virginia, and broadcast every Saturday night on WCVE. It explores the cosmos from distant galaxies to stars and constellations you can see from your own backyard here in Virginia. If there's an eclipse, a bright comet, or a major meteor shower coming soon to Virginia skies, you'll hear about it on Virginia Skylines.

"Once in a Blue Moon"

This month, Leslie explains the phases of the moon.

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Transcript

Sky Happenings for September 2008

Virginia area star map for September 2008 (PDF 45 kB)

Planets this month

Mercury Reaches greatest elongation (the point in its orbit where it is farthest from the Sun as seen from Earth) on September 10, 27° from the Sun. However, Mercury will remain very low in the sky, only about 10° above the west horizon at sunset, and it sets in the west at about 8:00 pm. After September 11, Mercury will be lower in the sky each evening, and disappear from view before the end of the month.

Venus will be the brightest star-like object low in the evening twilight. It is near Mercury and Mars for most of the month, however, Venus is easier to see in the evening twilight because it is much brighter than the other two planets. (See September 11 below)

Mars is about 10° above the west horizon at 8:00 pm during the first week of September, and sets in the west before 9:00 pm. By the third week of September, Mars will be disappearing low in the western evening twilight. Mars looks like a bright red star.

Jupiter stands about 25° above the south horizon after sunset, moves west throughout the night, and sets in the southwest at about 1:00 am. Jupiter is the brightest star-like object low in the south/southwest.

Saturn is not visible until the last week of September, when it rises just north of east at about 5:45 am. By September 30, Saturn will be 12° above the east horizon before sunrise.

Uranus is not usually visible without a telescope, but may be seen this month from a dark location with the unaided eye. On September 13, Uranus is at opposition (the point in its orbit when it is closest to Earth) so it can be seen as a faint star-like object in the constellation Aquarius.

Celestial Events

September 1	Very slim Waxing Crescent Moon near Venus, Mercury and Mars low in the west just after sunset.
September 6	First Quarter Moon 0.3° south of the bright star Antares in the constellation Scorpius.
September 9	Waxing Gibbous Moon 3° south of Jupiter.
September 10	Mercury at greatest elongation, 27° east of the Sun as seen from Earth.
September 11	Venus 0.3° north of Mars and 4° north of Mercury low in the west just after sunset.
September 19	Waning Gibbous Moon 1° north of Pleiades star cluster in the northeast after 10:00 pm.
September 22	Autumnal Equinox at 11:45 am Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). As the Sun crosses the Celestial Equator, this day marks the official start of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, an the start of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
September 27	Waning Crescent Moon 5° north of Saturn in the east before sunrise.

Moon Phases

First Quarter	September 6
Full Moon	September 15
Last Quarter	September 22
New Moon	September 29

Astronomy Resources

Stargazers' forecast (visibility and transparency) for Richmond, VA