See 5 planets and the Harvest Moon lighting up the sky this week. Late September is shaping up to be one of the best times of the year for stargazing, and you don’t need a telescope or any special equipment to enjoy it. The five “naked eye” planets will be visible at various times this week, all before September’s full moon, the Harvest Moon. Right Now: Venus Is Moving Away Fast Venus has been dominating the night sky all month and reached its brightest on September 18. It is still visible in the west for about 45 minutes after sunset, but it won’t last much longer. As September draws to a close, Venus slides further and further into the evening glow before disappearing from the night sky entirely. If you haven’t caught on yet, this is your last real window for a while. Jupiter and Mars share the pre-dawn sky. Look east before dawn and you’ll find Jupiter glowing white. It is one of the most stable and reliable objects in the night sky throughout the month. Reddish Mars is nearby, although noticeably fainter. Mars has gradually been gaining a bit of brightness as the month progresses, making it a little easier to spot than it was earlier in the summer. Get more of our news on Google Set The Weather Company as a ‘preferred source’ for faster access to the news you value. Mars aligns with the twins, Mercury sneaks up. Early risers will receive a gift this morning. Mars will appear aligned with Castor and Pollux, the two bright “twin” stars in the constellation Gemini. The three will form a small neat line in the eastern sky before dawn on Friday, September 25. That night, look west just after sunset to see Mercury. It is the most difficult of the visible planets to capture, because it never leaves the sun’s glare. But on the 25th, it will be far enough from the horizon’s glow to be detected with the naked eye for a brief period just after sunset. The Harvest Moon shines with Saturn just below. Saturday is the night that the month has been preparing for. September’s full moon reaches its maximum fullness at 12:49 pm EDT on September 26. It will rise that night with a deep yellow-orange glow while near the horizon, appearing particularly large. The moon is traditionally called the Harvest Moon, as it is the full moon that falls closest to the autumn equinox. And it won’t be the only naked-eye astronomical target on display that night. Just below the Moon, Saturn will be visible as a dazzling star-like object about 6 degrees away. You will be able to see it approximately one hour after moonrise. While Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, if you have a telescope, you will be able to see its iconic rings and its brightest moons, Rhea, Tethys, Dione and Titan, stretching out in a line away from it. So from now until Saturday, you have a chance to see five planets and a Harvest Moon, all visible without any special equipment. All you need now are clear skies!
