Crane your necks towards the night sky this month to glimpse a handful of rare celestial events, including the year’s final supermoon.
First up, on September 3rd, stargazers can spot the moon and Jupiter conjunction around 10:30pm ET. This means that the moon and the planet Jupiter will rise together in the night sky—you won’t even need to grab your telescope to see the duo dance together among the stars.
If you missed August’s blue supermoon, you’ll have a chance to glimpse this month’s super harvest moon between September 28 and 29. The supermoon will begin after sunset on the 28th and reach its peak size and brilliance in the early morning of the 29th. Sadly, this marks the final supermoon event of 2023, so make sure to mark your calendar.
Not to be outdone by lunar rarities, there are also some non-moon-related night sky happenings throughout the month. During the first half of the month, those in the lower 48 states can spot the comet Nishimura just above the horizon if they’re lucky. Head outside between September 18 and 19 to see Neptune glowing in the night sky. If you’re quick enough, you might just be able to spot the elusive planet Mercury around 9am ET on September 22.
And lastly, those who are done with the summer humidity can look forward to the fall equinox, which takes place on September 23rd. Whip out your flannel, boots and PSLs to celebrate.