![]() ![]() Mercury has shifted to its point of greatest western elongation. The image below shows the difference in size of the moon at perigee (closest point) and apogee (furthest point). Since the moon is closer to the Earth than average, it appears larger and brighter in the sky. A supermoon occurs when there is a full moon at perigee, or the closest point to Earth in the moon’s orbit. The full moon occurs on September 29th, and this will be the last supermoon of the year. Especially due to the string of supermoons this season, observing during a new moon is much better to view fainter objects. This is also why seasons are switched in the northern and southern hemispheres.Īfter the blue moon in August, the next new moon occurs September 15th. ![]() The solstices (and the summer and winter seasons) occur when one hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, therefore one hemisphere receives more direct sunlight than the other. As highlighted in the diagram, the equinoxes occur when the entire day-side of the Earth is receiving sunlight at the same angle. Earth rotates around its axis, and orbits the sun, but there is an angular difference between the rotational and orbital axes, a ‘tilt’ of approximately 23.5 degrees. The equinox and solstices, as well as the seasons themselves, are caused by the tilt of the Earth. Equinox gets its name from the fact that the sun spends equal time above and below the horizon on this day. The astronomical start of the fall season is fast approaching! The Autumnal Equinox occurs on September 23rd. Constellations, Planets, and Astronomical Events Visible in September 2023
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |