Astroblog: Thursday September 24 to Thursday 1 October

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Thursday September 24 to Thursday 1 October

The Full Moon is Sunday September 27. Saturn is rising before astronomical twilight. The Full Moon is close to Saturn on the 27th. Mars forms a line with the bright stars Castor and Pollux. Jupiter is low in the morning sky. In the evening, Venus is slowly sinking and Mercury is close to the bright star Spica in the twilight on the 26th.

The Full Moon is Sunday September 27.

North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Saturday, September 26 as seen from Adelaide at 4:35 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).

Saturn is low above the north-western horizon. Mars forms a line with the bright stars Castor and Pollux. Jupiter is low on the horizon.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise).

Western sky on the evening of Saturday, September 26 as seen from Adelaide at 19:10 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Venus is well above the horizon when the sky is fully dark.

The bright star Spica is below it and brightening Mercury is close to Spica.

Venus is a clear "Crescent Moon" shape and is increasing in size. The shape is readily visible in even small telescopes (although the brightness may make it hard to see).

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

Eastern horizon on the evening of Sunday, September 26 as seen from Adelaide at 19:41 ACST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Saturn is the brightest object above the eastern horizon. On the 27th it is close to the Full Moon. Saturn is rising before Nautical Twilight, but is best for telescopic observation from around midnight on, and its rings are widening.

The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Whole sky on Saturday, September 26 as seen from Adelaide at 19:40 ACST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Venus is prominent in the north-west. Saturn is visible low in the east

Scorpius, and the core of the Milky way are near the Zenith.

The Pointers are declining from their zenith in the Southern sky as the Southern Cross sinks to the south west. The Moon is nearly new and the fainter clusters and nebula are hard to see.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Mercury returns to the evening twilight. Mercury is close to the bright star Spica in the twilight on the 26th.

Venus leaves behind the bright star Spica and is becoming bigger and brighter but is slowly returning horizon-wards.

Mars is low in the twilight. Mars forms a line with the bright stars Castor and Pollux.

Jupiter climbs higher the morning twilight.

Saturn is low in the northwest in the morning sky. In the evening, Saturn is the brightest object above the eastern horizon. On the 27th it is close to the Full Moon.

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACST, Western sky at 10 pm ACST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky