This Week’s Sky

[Capt.Kangaroo]

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, September 5 – 12
By: Alan MacRobert | September 4, 2015

Saturday, September 5
• The wide W pattern of Cassiopeia is tilting up in the northeast after dark. Below the W's bottom segment, by a little farther than the segment's length, look for an enhanced spot of the Milky Way's glow (if you have a fairly dark sky). Binoculars will show this to be the Perseus Double Cluster, even through a fair amount of light pollution.

Sunday, September 6
• Sagittarius and the summer Milky Way, rich with deep-sky objects, stand highest on the meridian in the south right after dark this week. Work this area now, before moonlight returns next week. By the time the Moon leaves and we have a dark evening sky again, this area will be past the meridian.
Monday, September 7
• Even though it's not yet autumn, you can already greet Fomalhaut, the 1st-magnitude Autumn Star, twinkling low in the southeast by mid-evening. It shines highest in the south around midnight or 1 a.m.
Tuesday, September 8
• In the dawn of Wednesday the 9th, look for Venus and Mars below the waning crescent Moon in the east, as shown at right.
• And if you're out early enough before sunrise for the stars to still be visible, you get a winter preview! The sky displays the same starry panorama as it will at dusk next February. Orion stands high in the south, Sirius and Canis Major sparkle to its lower left, and Gemini occupies the high east.

Wednesday, September 9
• An hour before sunrise Thursday, look low in the east for the crescent Moon between bright Venus and faint Mars (in the time zones of the Americas).
Thursday, September 10
• Got light pollution? Cygnus overhead offers many sights for small telescopes regardless.
Friday, September 11
• How soon after sunset can you identify the big Summer Triangle? Vega, its brightest star, is nearly straight overhead (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes). Deneb is the first bright star to Vega's east-northeast. Altair shines less high in the southeast.

Saturday, September 12
• The Great Square of Pegasus is high in the east after dark, balancing on one corner.
From the Great Square's left corner extends the big line of three stars, running to the lower left, that mark the head, backbone and leg of the constellation Andromeda. (The line of three includes the corner.)
Upper left from the end of this line, you'll find W-shaped Cassiopeia tilting up.