The astronomical events of september are marked by the second equinox of the year. And it is that, although we do not know if it will look like autumn climatically speaking, on the 23rd this season will begin in the northern hemisphere, while the south will welcome the spring.
It is the greatest of astronomical events, but we cannot ignore the star showers. During the year there are some great meteor showers, very intense and known to everyone: the Perseids in August, the Geminids in December, the Lyrids in April… Although, in reality, there are many others. meteor showers. They are not so well known because sometimes they are almost impossible to see, but that does not mean that we should not know about them.
It is interesting to also be aware of these astronomical events, of which there are three important dates on the September calendar. These phenomena, the full Moon, which this month will also be a supermoon, and the conjunctions, form astronomical events perhaps less abundant than those of August, but with a climate that is still conducive to going out to look at the sky. Give us what you give us on that particular day.
The meteor showers, the astronomical events of September
In the astronomical events of September we have three meteor showers: the alpha aurigids, the epsilon perseids and the diurnal sextantids. The first ones take place from August 28 to September 5, although their peak, this year, will be day 1. That’s a problem, since we’ve just passed the full Moon, so its brightness will prevent you from seeing the meteors, which are already infrequent at a rate of about 6 per hour.
The perseid epsilons have nothing to do with their cousins of August. They are visible from September 5 to September 21, although their maximum point occurs day 9, when you can see about 5 meteors per hour. Therefore, they are much less intense than those of August. They are called the same because both have their radiant, the place from which they seem to be born in the sky, in the constellation Perseus. But they do not even have the same origin, since the August Perseids come from the remains of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle and the September one is an unknown long period comet. They are few, but the brightness of the waning moon will not be an impediment, so we would not lose anything by trying to see these astronomical events.
Finally, the sextantids are very curious because they are a daytime meteor shower They occur from September 9 to October 9, with their peak on September 27th. Since their radiant is in the constellation Sextant, very close to the Sun, they are only visible shortly before sunrise, around 5 in the morning. That is why they are known as diurnal.
The equinox can not miss
During the September 23 The autumnal equinox will take place in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern. As is normal with an equinox, the sun’s rays will fall almost directly on the Ecuadorso the length of day and night will be very similar around the world.
full harvest moon
This month there will only be one full moon, unlike in August. But it will be a supermoon, very beautiful to look at the sky. Like all of them, this one also has a popular name, coming from the traditions of the Native Americans. This time is the harvest moon, because it coincided with the time when corn began to be harvested, as well as other very important crops for them. We will be able to enjoy it on September 29.
The conjunctions that are never missing in astronomical events
The astronomical events of September they also come with very nice conjunctions in the sky. For example, we will see the Moon next to Jupiter on the 4th, Mercury on the 13th, Mars on the 16th and Saturn on the 27th. These dances of planets and satellites will be, as always, a very special moment for astrophotographers. But also for any other lover of astronomical events.