Astronomy Guide September 2021

Dear Stargazer Friends,

I hope you have been well. August was another rainy and cloudy month here in Switzerland and I only had one opportunity to do astronomy. However, bad weather is also an excellent occasion to go over setups, check software including astrophotography software, do tests and optimize for the next stargazing night. I also posted a few unboxing pictures of my Avalon Linear Mount here with a shy first light. More details to follow.

Also used a blue filter for the first time to take pictures of the Moon (see below) with surprising results. Finally, the Observatory project for our home takes shape slowly but surely. A more detailed planning with a totally new solution will start this fall. However, delivery times for the Baader AllSky Dome are long – which is really not such a problem for a hobby that takes lots of patience and with a steep learning curve – so I’ll have plenty of time to figure out all the details, including choosing the most suitable telescopes.

Nights are getting longer again, at least in the northern hemisphere and September is still a great month to observe the Milky Way. As I have mentioned in my last newsletter, personally, I love September and also October for stargazing. It’s not yet so cold outside and nights are sometimes very clear. The “winter constellations” make a comeback with the classics such as the Pleiades, Orion, the Hyades… Ideal celestial objects also for naked eye or binocular observation.

In the Northern Hemisphere September Equinox on 22 September 2021 at 21:21 CEST marks the beginning of the astronomical autumn/fall (and the beginning of astronomical spring for Southern Hemisphere).

I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and please come back for the October issue.

Clear skies and best wishes!
Isa

Waxing Moon 14 August 2021 taken through Takahashi FSQ-85EDX unguided, Nikon D800 and Baader Neodymium 2″ (Moon & Skyglow)-Filter

Moon phases September 2021

PhaseDate
New Moon 07 September, 02:51
First Quarter13 September, 22:39
Full Moon21 September, 01:54
Third Quarter29 September, 03:57
Times are local time for Bern, Switzerland

Planets

For local times go to In-The-Sky.org

Mercury (currently in Virgo) not observable in September (from Bern, Switzerland).

Venus is in the Contellation of Virgo until 18 September 2021 and observable in the early evening but only for a short moment. Starting 19 September, it will be visible in the constellation of Libra.

Mars is currently not visible (from Bern, Switzerland).

Jupiter is in the constellation of Capricorn. It rises earlier and earlier (15 September at 18:38; 30 September at 17:38) and can be observed throughout the month (1st of September until 04:19; 30 September until 02:35). Magnitude between -2.8 and -2.7.

Saturn appears in the constellation of Capricorn and thus still close to Jupiter. On 15 September, it rises at 17:54 and sets on 16 September at 03:01 (02:06 on 30 September).

Uranus is visible in the constellation of Aries (1st of September from 00:36 until 05:32; 30 September from 22:39 till 06:17). Approx. Mag. 5.7

Neptune is in the Constellation of Aquarius and visible all month – 15 September starting 22:06 till 04:52 and on 30 September from 21:04 till 03:48.

Ephemeris Sun with Twilights

All times computed for Bern (latitude 46.95; longitude 7.45) and expressed in Bern time.
Ephemeris by Dominic Ford – https://in-the-sky.org/ephemeris.php

Moon conjunctions with Planets

9-10 September: look for the Crescent Moon close to Venus early evening (W).

16-17 September: look for the Moon close to Jupiter (16 September) and Jupiter as well as Saturn on 17 September. Lovely trio visible starting dusk (SE).

Bright Stars

Polaris1.954h47m+47°36’30.92″
Mirfak1.755h14m+87°00’41.23″
Capella0.057h07m+89°04’13.10″
Menkalinan1.907h50m+87°59’59.48″
Dubhe2.0012h55m+75°18’47.11″
Alioth1.7514h45m+81°05’50.24″
Alkaid1.8515h39m+87°41’22.28″
Deneb1.2522h30m+88°23’39.10″
Altair0.7514h58m21h41m+51°59’08.78″4h24m
Fomalhaut1.1521h12m0h48m+13°36’35.13″4h25m
Vega0.0010h19m20h27m+81°50’50.02″6h34m
Diphda2.0021h49m2h33m+25°13’01.62″7h16m
Hamal2.0020h00m3h57m+66°37’19.95″11h53m
Adhara1.505h09m8h49m+14°06’53.57″12h28m
Rigel0.151h36m7h04m+34°53’54.65″12h33m
Source: Stellarium.org

Galaxies

NameMag.RiseTransitElev.SetAng. Size
M 81 (Bode’s Galaxy)6.9411h47m+67°59’24.62″+0°20’30.00″
M 82 (Cigar Galaxy)8.4111h47m+67°22’33.98″+0°07’45.00″
M 31 (Andromeda Galaxy)3.4415h33m2h32m+84°26’03.33″13h31m+2°05’24.00″
M 328.0815h44m2h32m+84°01’52.01″13h20m+0°07’30.00″
M 33 (Triangulum Galaxy)5.7218h38m3h23m+73°49’30.15″12h08m+0°55’09.00″
Source: Stellarium.org

(Open) Star clusters

NameMag.RiseTransitElev.SetAng. Size
Cr 39 (α Per Cluster)1.205h01m+88°00’41.12″+5°00’00.00″
NGC 869 (Double Cluster)3.803h53m+79°43’01.65″+0°15’00.00″
NGC 884 (Double Cluster)3.803h56m+79°43’15.66″+0°15’00.00″
M 34 (Spiral Cluster)5.204h16m+85°52’42.03″+0°12’30.00″
M 394.6023h04m+88°12’55.72″+0°15’30.00″
NGC 76865.601h02m+87°38’40.34″+0°07’00.00″
IC 1396 (Elephant’s Trunk Nebula)3.5023h11m+79°20’15.66″+0°08’00.00″
LDN 9622.0022h34m+88°25’33.97″+0°13’48.98″
LDN 10854.0023h05m+80°05’02.04″+0°01’41.58″
Cr 295.904h11m+80°51’54.82″+0°10’00.00″
Cr 4644.206h57m+63°55’58.11″+1°00’00.00″
M 235.5014h51m19h29m+24°05’45.18″0h07m+0°12’30.00″
M 24 (Small Sagittarius Star Cloud)4.6015h09m19h49m+24°32’24.16″0h29m+1°15’00.00″
M 254.6015h26m20h04m+23°58’53.51″0h41m+0°13’00.00″
M 17 (Omega Nebula)6.0015h01m19h53m+26°54’58.54″0h45m+0°35’00.00″
NGC 66056.0014h51m19h49m+28°04’25.01″0h47m
M 16 (Eagle Nebula)6.0014h47m19h51m+29°16’37.28″0h54m+1°12’30.00″
IC 4665 (Summer Beehive Cluster)4.2012h49m19h18m+48°46’03.56″1h47m+0°35’00.00″
Cr 359 (Taurus Poniatovii Cluster)3.0013h16m19h33m+45°57’35.67″1h50m+6°00’00.00″
NGC 6633 (Tweedledum Cluster)4.6013h27m19h59m+49°38’25.81″2h32m+0°10’00.00″
IC 4756 (Graff’s Cluster)4.6013h42m20h10m+48°33’59.85″2h39m+0°22’30.00″
Cr 399 (Coathanger)3.6013h19m20h57m+63°16’19.23″4h35m+0°30’00.00″
St 15.3013h01m21h08m+68°18’32.53″5h15m
NGC 68715.2012h07m21h38m+78°51’43.88″7h09m+0°15’00.00″
NGC 7525.7017h36m3h31m+80°55’57.12″13h26m+0°37’30.00″
NGC 6281 (Moth Wing Cluster)5.4016h16m18h37m+5°11’31.52″20h57m+0°04’30.00″
Cr 302 (Antares Cluster)1.0014h00m17h58m+16°50’13.52″21h55m+4°12’30.00″
Cr 256 (Coma Berenices Cluster)1.805h44m13h53m+68°46’52.31″22h03m+4°35’00.00″
NGC 63745.5015h51m19h04m+10°31’14.97″22h17m+0°01’15.00″
NGC 63835.5015h54m19h07m+10°33’06.73″22h20m+0°01’15.00″
M 7 (Ptolemy’s Cluster)3.3016h32m19h26m+8°21’21.61″22h20m+0°40’00.00″
M 6 (Butterfly Cluster)4.2015h57m19h12m+10°51’58.76″22h28m+0°12’30.00″
NGC 64165.7016h02m19h16m+10°45’36.40″22h31m+0°15’00.00″
NGC 6530 (Herschel 36)4.6015h28m19h37m+18°44’18.46″23h45m+0°07’00.00″
M 21 (Webb’s Cross)5.9015h17m19h36m+20°36’05.71″23h56m+0°08’00.00″
Source: Stellarium.org

Bright nebulae

NameMag.RiseTransitElev.SetAng. Size
NGC 7000 (North America Nebula)4.0022h29m+87°24’46.34″+1°50’00.00″
IC 1396 (Elephant’s Trunk Nebula)3.5023h09m+79°21’12.46″+0°08’00.00″
LDN 11215.0023h11m+78°34’32.19″+0°01’30.86″
vdB 154.585h01m+77°58’35.93″+0°27’30.00″
vdB 144.235h01m+76°56’12.75″
vdB 304.306h27m+70°34’32.02″
vdB 1344.9522h00m+87°52’20.69″
vdB 1293.2415h41m21h42m+42°18’31.65″3h43m
vdB 1273.8213h48m21h18m+61°38’35.30″4h47m
Ced 1774.8211h57m21h40m+79°56’57.90″7h22m
Ced 176a2.3211h14m21h39m+82°53’34.32″8h04m
Ced 176b2.3212h06m22h43m+83°29’50.11″9h20m
vdB 1514.4913h20m23h44m+82°50’55.02″10h09m
vdB 1563.6212h44m0h33m+85°29’38.66″12h22m
NGC 1435 (Merope Nebula)4.1821h19m5h18m+67°01’27.01″13h17m+0°30’00.00″
vdB 203.7121h16m5h17m+67°14’16.52″13h17m+0°18’00.00″
M 45 (Pleiades)1.2021h18m5h19m+67°14’26.30″13h19m+1°50’00.00″
NGC 1432 (Maia Nebula)3.8821h17m5h18m+67°19’26.58″13h19m+0°50’00.00″
vdB 232.8721h19m5h19m+67°13’42.82″13h20m+0°27’00.00″
Ced 19e4.3721h15m5h17m+67°36’20.79″13h20m+0°21’00.00″
Ced 19o (Atlas Nebula)3.8021h21m5h21m+67°10’46.93″13h21m+0°11’00.00″
Ced 451.700h25m6h57m+49°26’26.63″13h29m+0°40’00.00″
Ced 55r (Orion Loop Nebula)1.911h04m7h17m+45°07’02.80″13h30m
vdB 494.500h49m7h11m+47°11’55.18″13h33m
Ced 18b3.9420h19m5h16m+75°24’19.37″14h14m+2°00’00.00″
Bright nebulae around midnight end of September 2021 / Source: Stellarium.org

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