Brian Lada
September marks the changing of the seasons and the arrival of cooler weather across the Northern Hemisphere, but the cosmos has two more easy-to-see astronomy events lined up before astronomical autumn officially arrives.
From a "Super Harvest Moon eclipse" to the autumnal equinox, here are the top three astronomy events to mark on your calendar.
September will be the best month to view Saturn, as the planet will reach its peak brightness around Sunday, Sept. 8, when it is in opposition. During this opposition, Saturn will be directly opposite the sun in the sky, making it visible all night long for stargazers worldwide. This period also coincides with Saturn being closest to Earth.
This image shows Saturn with six of its moons, taken on Jan. 26, 2006. (Photo by Jamie Cooper/SSPL/Getty Images)
Although opposition occurs during the second weekend of the month, any night in September with cloud-free weather will be good for spotting Saturn. It can easily be seen without a telescope, but having one will reveal the planet's famous rings and some of its biggest moons.
The final full moon of summer will be the most stunning one of the season as part of the moon goes dark when it passes through Earth's shadow.
A partial lunar eclipse will be visible across nearly all of North America, with the exception of western Alaska. It may also be seen from South America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The best time to look will be on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 10:44 p.m. EDT, during the height of the eclipse
A partial lunar eclipse is seen in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
The upcoming lunar event will also be a supermoon, appearing slightly bigger than normal, and the popular Harvest Moon, the nickname given to the full moon that falls closest to the equinox. The result will be a "Super Harvest Moon eclipse" although the nickname will be more sensational than the event itself.
Summer nights are ending across the Northern Hemisphere as a new season approaches with the arrival of the equinox.
In 2024, autumn will begin at 8:43 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 22, marking the precise moment of the equinox. This will be the earliest start to astronomical fall since 1796, when it occurred on Sept. 22 at 3:27 a.m. LMT.