00:00September is upon us and the nights are getting longer. To celebrate, here's four
00:04incredible sky watching events and targets that you can enjoy with the
00:07naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. First up, grab a pair of binoculars and
00:11turn your gaze to the northeast after sunset for a chance to spot the Milky
00:14Way's neighboring Andromeda galaxy shining in the September sky. It's going
00:19to appear between the W-shaped formation of stars belonging to the
00:22constellation Cassiopeia and those of the constellation Andromeda. Why not head
00:26over to space.com and follow our handy star hopping guide if you need a little
00:30help locating it. The Andromeda galaxy will appear as a milky smudge of light
00:34through a pair of binoculars, becoming easier to spot in the dark nights
00:37surrounding the monthly new moon phase on September 10th. In darker skies you may
00:41even be able to trace the dark dust lanes that thread through the Andromeda
00:45galaxy's spiral arms. Our second highlight unfolds in the pre-dawn hours of
00:49September 8th as the razor-thin form of the waning crescent moon glows between
00:53the beehive cluster in the steady light of the gas giant Jupiter in
00:56the eastern sky. The three targets are going to be separated by less than 10
01:00degrees in the early morning sky making them a gorgeous target to the unaided
01:04eye, binoculars or a telescope. The latter of which will help reveal the cloud
01:08bands on Jupiter along with a plethora of gravitationally bound gorgeous stars
01:12belonging to the beehive cluster at the heart of the constellation Cancer. You may
01:16also notice Earth shine illuminating the unlit expanse of the lunar disk where
01:20sunlight reflected off our planet's surface bathes the moon in a gentle glow
01:24revealing the dark outlines of lunar seas scarring its ancient surface. Next, Venus
01:29shines brightest in its current evening apparition at sunset on September 18th.
01:33Venus is going to appear as a beautiful evening star shining low in the southwest
01:37amid the glow of the setting sun. So be sure to scout a spot with a clear view to
01:41the west to ensure that you catch a glimpse of the minor planet before it
01:43follows the Sun out of sight. Our fourth and final sky watching target is the full
01:48harvest moon which rises on September 26th to flood the night sky with a deluge of
01:53moonlight blocking out all but the brightest of the nearby stars. September's
01:56full moon is also known as the harvest moon because it rises closest to the
02:00autumn equinox. Traditionally farmers in the northern hemisphere would work long
02:04into the night with the help of the moonlight to gather the summer crops
02:07before the weather turned. Stargazers in the US will get their first look at the
02:11harvest moon when it rises over the eastern horizon among the stars of the
02:14constellation Pisces at sunset on September 26th with Saturn appearing just
02:1810 degrees below. Of course that's just a taste of the sky watching extravaganza run off of this
02:23September. Let us know what you're most excited about in the comments and be
02:26sure to head over to space.com for all the latest viewing tips, news and
02:30telescope deals.
