September 2, 2005
September 05 Astronomy Note
The temperatures are still good for stargazing this month. There will be three minor meteor showers, peaking on the 1st, 9th, and 19th. A fourth is regarded as a "radio shower", visible only by radar. Interestingly, meteor trails, visible or not, were/are used by the military to bounce radio signals over the horizon.
What this means is that it is still a good month for observing meteors, generally. Just not quite as good as August.
The most striking sight in the sky is the evening dance of Jupiter and Venus, coming as close as one and a quarter degrees at the moment they are closest (called Appulse) on 1 September. They will be moving along gradually each night, passing right by the bright star Spica, in Virgo. Also drifting into the picture will be a sliver of new moon. All these bright objects together will create one of those times that can trick the mind's eye and make these celestial objects seem very close to us.
Mars continues to put on a good show, rising late each evening in the east, but gradually rising earlier, until by the end of the month, it will be rising by 8:30 pm. It will also be getting brighter, first passing Sirius, then Jupiter, in brightness. Still very close physically (well, relatively close,) geographical (martiographical?) features and sometimes weather remain visible through telescopes.
Of course, the Autumnal Equinox occurs this month on the 22nd (at 3:23pm MST, 4:23pm Navajo Nation MDT. The sun is just entering Virgo, astronomically. Astrologically, it is entering Libra, but this is based on grossly outdated tables that ignore the actual appearance of the sky, and are so distorted that they leave out a major portion of the zodiac.
Posted by hargers at September 2, 2005 8:29 AM