Breakdown: What’s in the night sky this month- here is when & why you should look up in September

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) -

• On September 10th, you can catch the beautiful and bright full moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth. This full moon was known as the Corn Harvest Moon to Native American tribes because corn is harvested during this time of year. This full moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year.
• September 16 - Neptune will be at Opposition. Opposition means that Neptune is opposite of the sun with the earth in between. The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and it will be visible all night long. The planet will appear as only a tiny blue dot at best, even in the strongest telescopes.
• September 22 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 8:03 PM CDT. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also marks the first day of fall for us in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
• September 26 - Jupiter at Opposition. The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. A medium-sized telescope or a good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter’s four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet.

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