What's Up: September 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA

The Moon joins a tea party, Venus reaches peak brilliance, the seasons change, and the Harvest Moon meets up with some planetary neighbors. From September 14 through 20, use the moon as a guide to spot Antares, the Teapot asterism, and – under especially dark skies – the center of our Milky Way galaxy. On September 18, look low in the west shortly after sunset as Venus reaches peak brilliance for this evening appearance. On September 19, celebrate International Observe the Moon Night! People around the world are invited to look up and connect with our nearest celestial neighbor while learning more about lunar science, exploration, and the many ways the moon has shaped cultures around the world. The September equinox arrives on September 22, marking the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Then on September 26, the Harvest Moon rises near Saturn, with faint Neptune completing a wide triangle in the sky. Saturn is visible to the unaided eye, while Neptune requires binoculars or a telescope. Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What's Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up. Find events and clubs with NASA's Night Sky Network: https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/night-sky-network/ Skywatching resources from NASA: https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

What is said in the film

The Moon joins a tea party, Venus cranks up the brightness, the seasons officially change, and the Harvest Moon meets up with some planetary neighbors. That's What's Up for September. From September 14th through 20th, let the Moon guide you to a few celestial landmarks. About an hour after sunset, look south to find the Moon in the evening sky. Night by night, the Moon shifts positions against the background stars, passing near Antares.

This bright, reddish star marks the heart of the constellation Scorpius. Next you'll see the Teapot, a group of stars in neighboring Sagittarius that really does resemble a teapot, complete with a handle, lid, and spout. If you're under an especially dark sky, you may see hazy "steam" rising from the Teapot's spout. Follow that steam to its thickest part, and you'll be looking toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Look west on September 18th as Venus hits peak brilliance.

You won't have to search hard to find it. Shortly after sunset, Venus will stand out as a brilliant point of light low above the western horizon, outshining every star around it. A clear view of the horizon will give you the best chance to catch it before it sets. Then, on September 19th, celebrate International Observe the Moon Night! People around the world are invited to look up and connect with our nearest celestial neighbor while learning more about lunar science, exploration, and the many ways the Moon has shaped cultures around the world.

Find an event near you - or learn how to participate from wherever you are at go. nasa. gov/ObserveTheMoon. On September 22nd, it's officially fall in the Northern Hemisphere, while spring begins in the Southern Hemisphere. That's the September equinox, when the Sun is directly above Earth's equator.

Around the world, day and night are close to equal in length. From there, daylight keeps getting shorter in the Northern Hemisphere and longer in the Southern Hemisphere. And on September 26th, the Harvest Moon takes center stage, rising in the east shortly after sunset. It won't be alone. Saturn appears nearby, with faint Neptune completing a wide triangle in the sky.

Saturn is the easy one. You can see it with just your eyes. Neptune is a bit more challenging. At around magnitude 8, it's too faint to see with the unaided eye, so you'll need a pair of binoculars or a telescope to spot it. Darker skies and good observing conditions can help bring it into view.

Here are the phases of the Moon for September. You can stay up to date on all of NASA's missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science. nasa. gov. I'm Raquel Villanueva from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that's What's Up this month.

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