A streak of clear days and clear nights has offered fine star-watching lately. You never know with the weather, and again, patience is the key word if you take an active interest in astronomy. The moon was receding as well, giving us dark, starry skies for more and more of the night every night.

 

First-quarter moon is on Sunday (Sept. 7) and full moon on the 15th. This is a fine time to enjoy the intriguing cratered surface of our natural satellite and watch how it mingles with the brighter stars and planets around it.

 

Be sure to look low in the west during evening twilight for the very bright planet Venus, which will appear as a bright star in the reddish sunset glow. To the lower left of Venus is the planet Mercury, not quite as bright. Straight below Venus and Mercury is Earth. No kidding. We may as well count our home planet under our feet, which is very much a part of the celestial cycles. Close by but to the upper left of Mercury and just left of Venus -- making a nice triangle -- is Mars, the faintest of the three. Binoculars might be needed to pick out Mars from the dusk.

 

Looking south, watch how the growing moon glides past the planet Jupiter, being closest on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The dim glow of the distant Milky Way Band passes behind Jupiter, extending up from the south at this time of year, but don’t expect to see it with the bright star light cascading on you as the moon makes its merry way. Star light? Indeed, sunlight is star light, and it reflects off the moon, assuring us that the sun still shines beneath our feet (on the other side of our spinning world).

 

Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury also are beaming back the sun’s star light to our eyes. God forbid the sun would every cease its shining, but if it did, at night we would first know about it when the moon clicked off, unless Mercury and Venus were in our sky. They orbit closer to the sun, so they would blink off before the sunlight stopped reaching Earth and the moon.

 

With binoculars, look at the moon Saturday night, Sept. 6. The right red star Antares will be seen just above the bright moon. You might see this without optical aid, but the moonlight will interfere.

 

So where is Saturn? The next planet out from Jupiter is beyond our reach at present, being lost in the glare of the sun. In view during the evening, however, are Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. All three outer worlds may be found with good star charts showing where they may be found in their travels. Uranus is easily picked out with binoculars, looking like a star. Neptune is much dimmer but just within reach of binoculars unless there is a moon in the sky or light pollution is a problem. Pluto is notoriously hard to find, but within reach of an 8- or 10-inch telescope on an excellent night. Pluto appears as the finest, inconspicuous “dust speck” among many more, very dim stars scattered in tour telescope eyepiece field.

 

Sky and Telescope magazine features finder charts for Uranus and Neptune on their Web site, www.skyandtelescope.com. Look at the left under “Observing” to click on “This week’s sky at a glance,” and then scroll down to “This week’s planet roundup.”

 

Although the moon will mask most of the stars, you can still see the brighter ones and trace several constellations. The sky will be darker in the north well away from the moon, allowing you to still see the Big Dipper, which in the evening in mid-September is dipping down in the northwest. Note how the front stars of the “bowl” always point to the North Star, Polaris, located not quite halfway up due north, as seen from mid-northern latitudes. Keep going across the northern sky from Polaris to find the marvelous W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia.

 

In the west after dark, brilliant orange star Arcturus is well seen, moon or no moon. About an hour after sunset, look straight overhead for the gleaming blue-white star Vega. To the left, high up, is the brilliant star Deneb, and below them, about halfway towards the very bright planet Jupiter, is the bright star Altair. Vega, Deneb and Altair make up points of the “Summer Triangle,” not an actual constellation, but an easy reference marker for you to see.

 

To the left of Altair, look for the wonderful compact constellation Delphinus the Dolphin. This very small group is primarily made up of five stars, four which mark the dolphin’s body and the lower, fifth star marking the tail. Binoculars will aid you in the moonlight, since the dolphin’s stars are not very bright.

 

You can always enjoy the moon itself; look for the gray hardened lava plains called “maria” or “seas,” making up the famed “Man in the Moon.” Binoculars will show some craters along the terminator -- the edge of brightness where the darkened side of the moon begins. Hold them very steady or set the binoculars on a tripod or other solid support. A small telescope will give you incredible views of craters of all sizes, mountain ranges, streaks and spots.

 

Let me know what you see and how you enjoy the night sky.

 

Keep looking up!