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This is Griffith Observatory Sky Report through the period ending September 25th, 2020. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
Autumn begins in the northern hemisphere on the 22nd at 6:31 a.m., PDT. At that moment, the sun appears to cross southward over the celestial equator at a point called the Autumnal Equinox, at which time it lights both the northern and southern hemispheres equally. The event is called the September equinox, as it also marks the start of spring in the southern hemisphere. The fall season will end at the December equinox, also the start of northern hemisphere winter, on December 21.
The giant outer planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are noticeable in the south-southeast sky shortly after sunset. Jupiter is the brighter member of the pair. Jupiter is located about 8 degrees to the right of Saturn, and appears to lead Saturn through the sky as Earth’s rotation makes them arc to the southwest during the night. These planets reach their highest point in the south when they straddle the meridian at about 8:15 p.m. Jupiter is the first to set in the west-southwest, at 1:00 a.m.
Use a telescope to examine the spectacular rings of Saturn, as well as the four bright moons and banded clouds of Jupiter. Jupiter’s colorful oval storm, the Great Red Spot, will face west coast observers at 8:00 p.m. on September 19th, 21st, 26th, and 28th.
The bright coppery gleam of the planet Mars is prominent in the eastern sky by 10:00 p.m. Mars, less than a month from its once-every-26-month close approach to Earth, is prominent in the eastern sky by 10:00 p.m. Because of its position in the northern constellation Pisces the Fishes, the planet is high enough in the sky for serious telescopic observation from Los Angeles between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., during which time Mars completes nearly a quarter of a rotation. Observations made over a period of five weeks will allow all of the planet to be examined from any single location on Earth.
The brightest planet, Venus, appears above the eastern horizon at 4:00 a.m. It may still be spotted at sunrise when it is 30 degrees high.
The waxing crescent moon may be visible low in the western sky by 7:30 p.m. on the 18th. On the 21st and 22nd, it is close to the bright orange star Antares in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. The moon is first quarter on the 23rd, and on the next night, it is waxing gibbous and is located next to Jupiter. On the 25th it is positioned at Saturn’s lower left.
From one night to the next, the moon is visible for a longer time. The time of moonset advances from 8:10 p.m. on the 18th to 1:41 a.m. on the 25th.
Because of measures in place that are intended to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 Corona virus, Griffith Observatory remains closed until further notice. Consequently, all public telescopes are closed, and all public events have been cancelled. Please check the Griffith Observatory homepage for current information and continued updates of the situation.
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From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at Anthony.Cook@lacity.org.