The bright Moon passes by planets Saturn and Neptune in Pisces. Both worlds are visible all night, nearing opposition.
This view shows the sky high in the southeast around 11 P.M. on September 8. Neptune will require binoculars or a telescope to spot, but Saturn is visible to the naked eye. Credit: Stellarium/USGS/Celestia/Clementine
- At 4 PM EDT, the Moon passed 4° north of Saturn, followed by a passage 3° north of Neptune at 6 PM EDT.
- Saturn (magnitude 0.6), visible to the naked eye, and Neptune (magnitude 7.7), requiring optical aid, were observable in southwestern Pisces, approximately 30° high in the southeast by 11 PM local daylight time. Saturn’s disk measured 19”, with rings spanning 44” along the long axis.
- Neptune, situated 2° northeast of Saturn, was near a 6th-magnitude field star, facilitating its location roughly half a binocular field from Saturn. Its disk appeared 2” across.
- Neptune is approaching opposition on September 23, two days after Saturn’s opposition.
The Moon passes 4° north of Saturn at 4 P.M. EDT. Two hours later, the Moon passes 3° north of Neptune at 6 P.M. EDT.
Both planets rise around 8 P.M. local daylight time in southwestern Pisces. They hang below the Circlet asterism and stand some 30° high in the southeast by 11 P.M. local daylight time. The Moon is now about 7° to their left, with only brighter Saturn (magnitude 0.6) visible to the naked eye. It is the brightest point of light in this region and should still stand out well even with the Moon nearby. Feel free to enjoy the ringed planet with a telescope — its disk now measures 19” across, with its rings stretching nearly 44” along the long axis. They appear quite thin, tilted just 2° to our line of sight. We’ll come back to Saturn later in the week, when its largest and brightest moon undergoes an occultation.
Neptune, meanwhile, shines at magnitude 7.7 and requires optical aid to spot. It is currently 2° northeast of Saturn, hanging less than half a degree due south of a 6th-magnitude field star. The pairing should make it relatively easy to find and spot, roughly half a binocular field from Saturn.
Nearly 2.7 billion miles (4.3 billion km) from Earth, Neptune’s disk appears even smaller than Uranus’. It is just 2” across and may have a faint bluish hue, though this may be a bit harder than usual to pick up on with the bright Moon relatively nearby.
Neptune is quickly nearing opposition later this month; it will reach this point September 23, just two days after Saturn reaches its own opposition.
Sunrise: 6:34 A.M.
Sunset: 7:20 P.M.
Moonrise: 7:50 P.M.
Moonset: 7:31 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waning gibbous (99%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.