The first half of 2015 featured lots of evening planets, but as autumn begins, the focus shifts to the predawn sky. Venus, Mars, and Jupiter return to prominence on September mornings. Although the evening sky quiets some, Mercury briefly pokes above the horizon and Saturn continues to look spectacular. Meanwhile, the overnight hours offer some of the year’s best views of Uranus and Neptune.
But September’s star attraction lies closer to home. The Moon takes center stage three times during its monthly tour of the sky. In the first act, Earth’s satellite passes in front of 1st-magnitude
Aldebaran before dawn September 5. Observers along a line that runs from the western shore of Lake Superior to Florida’s east coast will see the star emerge from behind the Last Quarter Moon’s dark limb as the pair rises. The farther north and east of this line you live, the higher the two objects will appear. From New York City, for example, they stand 11° above the eastern horizon when
Aldebaran returns to view at 12:40 a.m. EDT.
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