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Home -> Astronomy News -> Events -> September 2014
Post Info TOPIC: September 2014
Blobrana


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RE: September 2014
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Highlights

Autumnal Equinox
On this day, the Sun rises directly in the East, and sets directly in the West. At the South Pole, the Sun will begin to rise after six months of darkness.

Watch out for the zodiacal lights, also known as the false dawn, which maybe visible about two hours before sunrise from dark sites during the latter part of September.



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Blobrana


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Meteor Showers

There are no major meteor showers this month...
September is a month with the best sporadic rates and a few mysterious minor showers.
The Alpha Aurigids are active from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5, normally with a ZHR of 10. this year it may be quite active 

The Delta Aquarids are active September 5 thru October 10, with a ZHR of 6. It is on view until dawn. Faint, swift meteors are likely and the brighter ones may leave persistent trains.
These two form part of what is known as the Auriga-Cassiopiea-Perseus-Aries-Triangulum radiants, active from late August until mid-October.

The Piscids, active September 1 - 30, have a ZHR of 3.

The Sextanids are active September 9 through October 9. Though, this one is more of a radio/radar shower.

A new meteor shower, called the September Taurids, might peak this month on the evening of September 13 - 14.  The exact date and time of maximum activity, however, are uncertain. The radiant, which lies between the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters, produces only 7 meteors per hour, with an average brightness of magnitude 2.7.

ShowerActivity PeriodMaximumRadiantVelocityZHR
  DateR.A.Dec.km/s 
Aug 25 - Sept. 5
1 September
5.5h
41°
66.0km/s
10
October Arietids
Sept-Oct
8 September
    
Piscids
Sept 1 - 30
19 September
0.7h
9.2°
30.0km/s
5
SextanidsSept-Oct25 September    
Andromedids 26 September 58.1°59.3km/s 
Gamma Piscids23 - 2828 September23.4h11.0°19.2km/s4
 
29 September
12.6h
-16.0°
8.6km/s
3

 



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Blobrana


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Mercury: at magnitude -0.2, starts the month in the constellation of Virgo. Mercury is at Aphelion on the 11th. The planet is near (separated ~33') to Spica on the 20th. Mercury is at its Greatest Elongation (26.4° E) on the 21st and at Dichotomy (Half phase) on the 26th.
(On August 31st, RA=11h51m24s  Dec= +1°02.0' (J2000) Distance=1.249AU  Phase k=83%  Diameter=5.4")

Venus: is at magnitude -3.9. The planet is in the morning skies in the constellation Leo at the start of the month. Venus is at Perihelion (distance to sun 0.7184 AU) on the 5th. Venus is near (separated ~44') to Regulus on the 5th. The Moon is close (~5°) to Venus on the 23rd.
(On September 1st, RA= 9h47m25s  Dec=+14°29.1' (J2000) Distance=1.652AU  Phase k=96%  Diameter=10.1")

 phase.gif
 

Earth: Maximum Northerly heliographic latitude of the Earth at 17:05 UT, 8th September: Look towards the solar North Pole. The September Equinox is at 02:29.1 UT, 23rd September.

The Moon: First Quarter Moon at 11:11.2 UT, 2nd September, 2014. Lunar perigee (distance 352019.2 km) is at 03:37.7 UT, 8th September. Full moon at 01:38.2 UT, 9th September.  Last Quarter Moon is at 02:04.9 UT, 16th September. Lunar apogee (distance: 405818.7 km) is at 14:30.2 UT, 20th September. New Moon is at 06:13.8 UT, 24th September. 

Mars: at magnitude 0.6 starts the month in the constellation Libra. Mars is near (separated ~10") to Antares on the 28th.
(On September 1st, RA=15h16m23s  Dec=-19°32.7' (J2000) Distance=1.378AU  Phase k=87%  Diameter=6.8")

Jupiter: is in the constellation Cancer. At magnitude -1.8, the planet is observable in the morning sky this month. The Moon is ~5° from Jupiter on the 20th.

Transit times of Jupiter's satellites and the Great Red Spot are posted in separate threads.
(On September 1st, RA= 8h50m13s  Dec=+18°11.4' (J2000) Distance=6.146AU  Diameter=32.0")

Saturn: at magnitude 0.6 sits in the constellation Libra. Saturn is ~5° from the Moon on the 27th. Saturn's rings are tilted ~17 degrees to our line of sight.
(On September 1st, RA=15h04m09s  Dec=-15°09.3' (J2000) Distance=10.251AU  Diameter=16.1")

Uranus: is in the constellation Pisces. Uranus at magnitude 5.7, has a bluish-green hue and appears 3.6 arcseconds wide.  
(On September 1st, RA= 0h58m40s  Dec= +5°30.5' (J2000) Distance=19.196AU  Diameter=3.6")

Neptune: is at magnitude 7.8 in the constellation Aquarius. The planet is best seen from 22:20 - 01:30 UT. 
(On September 1st, RA=22h31m48s  Dec=-10°03.2' (J2000) Distance=28.965AU  Diameter=2.3")

Pluto: is in the constellation Sagittarius (mag 14.1). Normally, a finder chart is necessary to help in identifying the 0.13" diameter dwarf planet. The dwarf planet is Stationary: Getting Prograde on the 22nd.
(On September 1st, RA=18h46m32s  Dec=-20°32.0' (J2000) Distance=32.175AU  Diameter=0.1")

The Sun enters the zodiac sign of Libra at 02:29 UT on the 23rd September 2014.



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