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September 21 st to October 18 th General Information September/October: The subtle patterns of Fall begin to fill our main viewing area, many connected with water, such as Aquarius, Capricornus, Cetus, Pisces and others. Saturn (barely 20° high in the west an hour after sunset) is the only naked-eye planet of the evening, with Uranus and Neptune needing at least binoculars to spot. Some of the best planet viewing is in the pre-dawn sky. Sunset Range: 7:19 p.m. (September 21 st ) to 6:39 p.m. (October 18 th ) End of Astronomical Twilight (Full Darkness* – Sun 18° below horizon): 8:46 p.m. (September 21 st ) to 8:06 p.m. (October 18 th ) * Usually dark enough for observing about a half hour before this.

Moon Phases – August/September September 21 st – First Quarter Moon September 27 th – Full Moon October 4 th – Last Quarter Moon (Observing at Cahas on 2 nd and 3 rd *) Note: October 3 rd is the VAAS gathering in Charlottesville. October 12 th – New Moon (Observing at Cahas on 9 th and 10 th *) Note: October 10 th is the RVAS picnic and star party at Apple Ridge Farm. Roughly speaking: First Quarter Moon is highest at sunset and sets at midnight Full Moon rises at sunset and is in the sky all night Last (or “Third”) Quarter Moon rises at midnight and is highest at dawn New Moon sets with the sun and is absent from the sky all night

Celestial Events September 21 st to October 18 th September 23 rd, 4:21 a.m.: Fall or autumnal equinox. September 25 th, 5:30 a.m.: Challenge Photo Op – Mars 0.78° NNE of Regulus (α Leonis), 10° high in the east, just before morning twilight begins. Venus is about 8° above Mars; Jupiter is near the horizon, below Mars. September 27 th, 8:12 p.m.: “Supermoon” Total Lunar Eclipse. Moon at perigee; Earth-radii distance (closest perigee for 2015). September 28 th : Brightest of the asteroids, 4 Vesta reaches opposition in Cetus, shining at mag October 4 th : Challenge Telescopic Observation – Comet 22P Kopff 0.13° N of Saturn (magnitudes 10 and 0.6), 15° high in W at 8:00 p.m. October 8 th, 5:45 a.m.: Celestial line-up of the waning crescent Moon, Venus (with Regulus about 2.5° to its left), Mars and Jupiter, low in the E, just before morning twilight begins.

August 17 th, 9:15 PM Last month’s meeting date. 30 minutes before full darkness. September 21 st, 8:15 PM 30 minutes before full darkness. Darkness continuing to fall earlier. Meridian Saturn Moon E S W N

20:12 EDT 01:23 EDT 22:48 EDT 22:11 EDT 21:07 EDT 00:27 EDT 23:23 EDT

Finding Asteroid 4 Vesta 53° Vesta M31 Pleiades Mira October 10 th, 10:00 PM EDT Great Square of Pegasus Pisces Cetus Cassiopeia Vesta Mag Vesta 2° Vesta °

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