Supermoon and Partial Lunar Eclipse: September’s Skyscapes

September is here and with it comes a host of celestial sights that promise to enchant the skies for all astronomy enthusiasts! Get your eyes, binoculars and telescopes ready to catch this spectacle in the Cosmos showcase!

One of the most anticipated astronomical events of the month It will be the second Supermoon of the year, with a partial eclipse on the night of September 18.A supermoon occurs when the full moon phase coincides with perigee, the point where its orbit is closest to Earth.

This closer proximity makes it appear larger and brighter than usual, in a state of great beauty and magnificence. However, another interesting event will accompany the Supermoon on the same night: A portion of the lunar disk will pass through Earth’s shadow, creating a partial lunar eclipse that will be visible from nearly the entire planet..

Another prominent event in September is the 22nd equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. The equinoxes mark the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator plane, resulting in a day and night of nearly equal length, and always occur between March 20 and September 22.

This astronomical event symbolizes the end of winter and the beginning of spring in the south of the planet, and the end of summer and the beginning of autumn in the north. This year the spring equinox will occur at 09:43 Brazilian time.

In addition to these main events, the September sky will also feature planetary conjunctions and even an occultation of Saturn by the Moon on the night of the 17th.

Using celestial observation apps like Celeste Chart, Sky Map, and Stellarium are great allies when searching for objects and reference points in the sky.

Calendar of major astronomical events for September 2024

03/09: New moon

05/09: Mercury at greatest western elongation (best visibility)

08/09: Saturn at opposition (best visibility and maximum brightness)

11/09: First Quarter Moon

17/09: Moon and Saturn conjunction; Saturn’s lunar occultation

17/09: Full Moon; Super Moon; Partial Lunar Eclipse

09/21: Neptune at opposition (best visibility and maximum brightness)

09/22: Spring Equinox

09/23: Conjunction between Moon and Jupiter

09/24: First Quarter Moon

09/25: Conjunction between the Moon and Mars

Clear skies and good observations!

Always be informed about all the celestial events of the month on TecMundo and take the opportunity to share the September astronomical calendar with your friends on social media!