Overview
- Look low in western evening twilight on Sept. 1–3 for brilliant Venus passing about a degree from the bright star Spica, a short-lived naked-eye pairing best seen 20–45 minutes after sunset.
- The Aurigid meteor shower peaks around Sept. 1 with only a handful of meteors per hour, so observers should seek a dark horizon and bookend early‑September skywatching with Venus views.
- A thin crescent Moon will occult Jupiter during daylight for many North American locations on Sept. 8, an event that requires binoculars or a telescope and careful sun‑avoidance techniques for safe searching.
- A new moon on Sept. 10–11 will create the month’s darkest skies, offering the best conditions for Milky Way and deep‑sky observing from dark‑sky sites.
- Neptune reaches opposition around Sept. 25–26 and the Harvest Moon will peak at 12:49 p.m. EDT on Sept. 26, with Saturn appearing nearby after moonrise, a pairing that organizers and educators are using to schedule public telescope nights and photography outings.