Beautiful, Narnian78!

Wonderful that you were able to see the Northern Lights the other night, stargazer, wow! And, yes, isn't it beautiful to see Orion again?! I love that magnificent view of it rising in the eastern sky. I am expecting to spot Sirius any day now. In fact, according to our Planisphere, it is visible, but often we have haze over the far eastern horizon, so it must be hidden behind that.

The conjunction of Jupiter and Mars was marvelous this morning, with Mars a teensy bit to the upper left of Jupiter, with Aldebaran not too far away on the right.

The morning of August 12 (from 5:20 - 6:20 am EDT), I saw three Perseid meteors on my walk. I would have spotted more, of course, if I had been still, lying down in the field behind us, but I was longing to walk, as it was lovely and cool out—really refreshing! The first meteor was very long, slow, and bright ('though not a fireball); the second was brief and dim; the third was short, fast, and very bright.

The morning of August 13 (same timeframe), I saw four more. All were kind of average (although still thrilling!), and all streamed into the east from Perseus.  

EDIT: This morning, August 15, showed Mars and Jupiter on the same level, as Mars had moved to Jupiter's left. A lovely sight! My thumb held out at arm's length still completely covered them both.

I was also fortunate enough to see that close conjunction between Mars and Jupiter on August 14 - very pretty!

The past week has been mostly free of clouds (unusual this summer) and I've been able to watch Mars pull away from Jupiter since then. It's now to the lower left of Jupiter (as seen from mid-Northern latitudes).

We may have few clouds, but wildfire smoke is back, including some areas with air quality alerts. Last night it took a bit of work to even pick out Saturn in the haze. But the full moon was quite pretty, low in the southeast, big and round but dimmed somewhat and with a deeper yellow hue than is usual.

The shortening days are becoming very evident now. We've lost 52 minutes of daylight since the solstice - and that's just in the evening. It's a similar amount in the morning.

Posted by: @stargazer

The past week has been mostly free of clouds (unusual this summer) and I've been able to watch Mars pull away from Jupiter since then. It's now to the lower left of Jupiter (as seen from mid-Northern latitudes).

Ditto here. Those two planets were lovely this morning as they move apart. Saturn, in the south, was dimmed from the very bright light of the full Sturgeon Moon close by, as was the great square of Pegasus. I could still see them, but they weren't nearly as strong as when there is no glaring Moon nearby, of course. This full Moon was blue, according to the original definition. From Sky & Telescope: "[The] third full Moon in a season that contains an unusual four (Maine Farmer's Almanac definition, 1937). It's not a blue moon by the simpler and more common definition nowadays: the second full Moon in a calendar month (James Hugh Pruett definition, Sky & Telescope, 1946)."

And finally! I saw Sirius rising in the east, with Orion's belt pointing down towards it. Beautiful! And then, there was a star also coming up in the eastern sky (to the left and a bit higher from Sirius), which puzzled me. I ruled it out from being a planet (the brighter ones were all accounted for), and I seemed to recall something I learned last summer about a recognizable star between Sirius and Gemini, but I could not remember the name. I knew when I got home and looked at our Planisphere my recollection would be recalled. Sure enough, it was: Procyon!  

Cygnus and the Summer Triangle is gradually sinking in the NW sky, a very pretty sight.

At only 7°C here (44.6F), the night sky was sparkling clear (aside from vicinity in the Moon's light). The next few nights will continue in the single digits, so early morning walking will be Autumn-like!  

I was out this morning around 5 am and enjoyed the sight of Mars, now about 4 degrees to the lower left of Jupiter, and the Moon high in the south.

I haven't yet seen Sirius or Procyon this season, and had hoped to do so this morning, but then some clouds rolled in from the south, hiding them from view.

However, I did have an unintended viewing of the ISS high in the northeast.

The crickets are very loud now at night and the cicadas have begun calling during the day. In these parts, that means summer, while still hot (the heat index this weekend could reach 100F), is definitely on the wane.

Sounds really lovely, stargazer! Nice re the unexpected viewing of an ISS pass.Have you had the opportunity to spot Sirius or Procyon yet?

Indeed, isn't the crickets song wonderful? While not being able to distinguish their individual chirps when many are trilling once, I went into the garage to put outdoor chairs, etc, away following a campfire, where I heard a cricket. It was easy to count his chirps, being alone, which I did in two 15 second intervals. Both times - 23. I have read that they change their number of chirps according to the temperature, so I would like to learn more about this and figure out what this little guy did, given the temp that evening (which was mild, yet not too hot).

That ^ is a bit of a diversion, but certainly the crickets chorus indicates an imminent Autumn. This morning was 5°C on my long morning walk (6 - 7 am). The night sky was so beautiful when I first walked out, 'though dawn was growing on the eastern horizon, and by the time I arrived home, it was light out, as the sun rose at 6:50.

I spotted high Jupiter as long as I could (near sunrise). Even Sirius, rising more in the east, is visible up to ten minutes, or so, before sunrise. Saturn is lowering in the SSW; Mars and Jupiter are gradually drawing further apart, with Mars to the larger planet's lower left.

I could not spot Mercury this morning (low in the ENE), but will keep trying every morning walk this week. Temps at night remain comfortable ('though not as low as 5C), and the skies will be clear for a few days. The magnitude of Mercury will continue to increase a fair bit over a week's time, with mag of -0.7 on September 7 (from +0.8 on August 31). Apparently Regulus and Mercury were in conjunction this morning, low in the ENE.

The waning Moon's mysterious sliver was barely visible on Sunday morning's walk, with bright earthshine. Such a lovely sight.

The past week has had wonderful stargazing weather, allowing me to welcome Venus back into the evening sky along with Sirius in the dawn hours. (Venus is remaining stubbornly low since the ecliptic makes such a shallow angle to the horizon this time of year).

Mars is quickly moving away from Jupiter and toward the feet of Gemini. It's also getting a little brighter and redder as the weeks pass.

There is a very small partial lunar eclipse coming soon, on the night of September 17-18. It will be visible in most of the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Only 8% of the Moon will be covered. In my time zone (US Central, UTC - 5), it lasts from 9:12 pm to 10:15 pm (excluding the faint penumbral phases, which begin and end about 90 minutes from those times).

Its partner is an annular solar eclipse on October 2, which will be visible from parts of the Pacific Ocean and far southern South America.

On a flight from the east coast back home to Seattle I was able to observe two of my favorite constellations, Sagittarius and Scorpio, for a long time out the plane window. They were aligned just perfectly to keep me company for several hours, and despite my latitude, I could see them in their whole, which isn't possible in hilly, brightly lit Seattle. Sagittarius really DOES look like a teapot! And as Stargazer pointed out, I was also able to observe low-hanging Venus.

How fun, @cobalt-jade!  I also miss seeing the Teapot, as I live in a brightly lit area as well...not to mention that from our latitude, it never rises high at all to begin with.

I had a pair of interesting astronomical experiences yesterday (September 12). First, I went out at about 5:30 am local daylight time, first noticing Sirius above the trees to the southeast. This told me that Orion would be higher and to its right, and bright Jupiter would be quite high in the southeast too.

But I immediately saw a bright, fuzzy-looking white object high in the southeast, and my first thought was, "Jupiter is in the wrong place." (Our sky is currently hazy due to wildfire smoke and high humidity, so some objects don't always look as sharp as they should). But I was able to see Jupiter, in its correct place, along with fainter objects like the Belt of Orion, so the sky was not the problem. Then I noticed the strange object, about half the size of the quarter Moon and around magnitude -3.0 (slightly brighter than Jupiter) was moving.

My first thought was the ISS, but it is an evening object. This one was steady and satellite-like, so probably not a plane. Then I thought of NASA's new Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3), which has been reported to be unexpectedly bright, but that is also an evening object.

It remained bright even as it sank behind the trees to the east, definitely not ISS behavior. Later in the day, the best online fit I could find was a Starlink satellite, but I've never seen them act like this.

That evening, I had a chance to see an actual ACS3 pass. This was new so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Its predicted magnitude was 1.9, respectable but not spectacular, especially in hazy city lit skies. I was pleasantly surprised when it flashed into view nearly overhead, briefly shining around -0.5 (slightly brighter than nearby Vega) before fading from view. (Its brightness is irregular as it is intentionally tumbling).

Looking forward to the clear, calm, longer nights of autumn!

Your sight of Sagittarius, Scorpio, and Venus  from the plane would have been so very cool, @cobalt-jade, wow. What a treat! Indeed, that is how I recognize Sagittarius, by its main feature - the teapot. Quite fun!

The past two weeks have been clear and cool (yes, we need rain! - the first time this summer we have been so dry), so my early morning walks (6 - 7 am) have been quite beautiful. 'Though, because the days are warm and the nights are cool, the fog has often permeated during that hour of dawn. So, I have had notpportunity to spot Mercury and Regulus in the east (thick haze), but the stars above the mists have shone brightly.

Mars continues to make its way further from Jupiter (now very high above), heading towards Gemini. Stunning Orion is always magnificent in the SE, pointing downwards to sparkling Sirius. Because of the fog, Saturn (in the west) has not been visible lately, 'though at times I can catch a glimpse of the great square of Pegasus, higher up.

This morning, as I headed out, there was a huge, orange orb very low in the west. The nearly-full Harvest Moon was setting in splendour. Gorgeous! Tonight it is full at 10:34 pm (EDT), while simultaneously a small partial eclipse of the Moon, as stargazer mentioned three posts above. More info: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/harvest-moon-takes-a-quick-dip-in-earths-shadow/.

No rain (nor even many clouds) is expected here over the next week, so more stargazing is in store! However, may our needed precipitation not stay away for too much longer.

EDIT: Wups, I totally meant to comment on your interesting sightings, @stargazer.

[T]he best online fit I could find was a Starlink satellite, but I've never seen them act like this.

That evening, I had a chance to see an actual ACS3 pass.

What a treat! I find it a lot of fun and thinking work, at times, to figure out what an unexpected appearance is in the night sky. Really cool you saw these. 🙂

Looking forward to the clear, calm, longer nights of autumn!

Mega-ditto here!

I had a fun time watching last week's partial lunar eclipse. A few highlights:

The week was unusually warm for us, and I was able to pull up a chair in the driveway and watch the Moon in the southeast. The sky was generally clear until clouds rolled in shortly after the eclipse ended.

My view to the west was obstructed by a large tree, so occasionally I'd walk to the west end of the driveway to check. At one point I saw several deer in the yard to the north. A few minutes later they walked down the street, not caring if I was there. Then someone walked up the street the other direction, asking if I'd seen the deer. I said I had and asked if he'd seen the eclipse (which was still in progress), and he had. 

Near last contact (10:17 pm local daylight time), I saw a brilliant blue-white meteor to the right of the Moon. It was at least magnitude -4.0 (comparable to Venus) and was visible about 15 degrees. Impressive!

It became overcast minutes after the umbral phase ended.

A cold front passed this weekend, bringing much cooler air and clear skies. This morning (Monday) I was out around 6 am to see Orion high in the southeast and Regulus in Leo rising over the trees. Orion's Sword was easily visible despite all the light pollution. 

There is a comet coming! You may have already seen hype about it in the popular media, but comets are notoriously fickle.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (its official designation of C/2023 A3 is easier to pronounce 😉 ) has been pleasing viewers in the early dawn sky, especially Down Under, and is giving the best show since NEOWISE back in 2020.

It enters the evening sky October 9 and is nearest earth 3 days later. It should be visible in the evening dusk, especially in a smartphone camera. Lots more details are here: 

Get Ready for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS — The Best Is Yet to Come! - Sky & Telescope - Sky & Telescope (skyandtelescope.org)

'Twas really interesting to read your eclipse night highlights, @stargazer. And cool you saw deer ... and a meteor! Then Orion and Regulus too. How kind of the clouds to hold off until after the eclipse ended. Thanks also for the info on the comet.

Yesterday morning (as well as this morning) was only 7°C (44.6F). Yesterday a.m., in particular was sparkling crisp and clear. This morning's walk had a teensie bit of haze, although the main stars and planets (Jupiter and Mars) could still be seen.

But yesterday's walk was the best in weeks, really feeling like Autumn. Shortly after I began (at 5:55 am), I caught a glimpse of something high above on my left (in the south), which I thought was a meteor. Then, about 15 minutes later, I knew it probably had been, because I spotted, heading north, a long, bright, fairly slow meteor streaking across the sky. Then a few minutes later, another shorter, fast meteor of the same direction. I looked at Meteor Showers 2024 when I arrived home, and saw that these were probably Orionids, which peak on October 20 and 21, but 'run' from near the end of September through the second last week of November. So, I look forward to viewing more.  

Leo is now rising higher in the east, with Regulus burning quite brightly. Orion always makes a magnificent sight in the south, plus the surrounding familiars: Sirius (in Canis Major), Procoyon (Canis Minor), Gemini (the Twins are horizontal now), ruddy Mars gliding through the middle of Gemini; and to the right of Orion, Aldebaran, then the Pleiades; Jupiter and Capella high above; the great square of Pegasus to the lower left of high-in-the NW Cassiopeia. All stunning sights! I love morning dark sky walks this in cooler, fresher time of year!  

EDIT: And it looks like there is a fair possibility of northern lights tonight and tomorrow night, as a solar flare has just erupted!  

Sounds like a fun time observing, Jo! Did you see any Northern Lights?

I've mentioned our warm and dry weather in that thread. Drought concerns aside, it's an awesome time of year, my favorite time to relax under the stars. I'm often outside around 1 am, just in time to see Mars and Orion rising above the trees to the east.

I watched for Northern Lights over the weekend but didn't see any. However, last night I stepped out shortly after midnight to see white pillars and spires filling the north half of the sky, nearly reaching the zenith. They weren't as bright or as active as some of the displays earlier this summer.

But before long, dull red colors began appearing in the northwest, just to the lower left of the Pole Guardians. It came and went over time but was very pretty.

I returned outside shortly after 1 am to see some activity, but not as much as earlier in the night. I went outside again around 5 am and the sky was filled with small cumulus clouds so no auroras were seen. But it is clear now with another chance at them tonight.

@stargazer, not that night, but we did see some last night. ('Though nothing like the photos below!) We went to a bit higher elevation (a short ways south of us), on a gravel road, with very little light pollution, and watched as the stars came out (bright Venus was setting in the SW). There was a definite large pink/red glow in the eastern sky, which came and went (long after sunset), then we saw white-light green swaying lights across the northern sky. They were not bright, but still very beautiful.

Because I arise very early to walk or swim every morning, I needed to get to sleep, so turned off the light at 10 pm. Very unfortunately, I had not checked Instant Ontario Weather, which gave the heads up whenever the Auroras began to 'explode'. They became very bright and active right around 10 pm. If I had seen the notice, we would have absolutely gone outside again. Disappointing! Ah well. Next time?

Many of the photos that came in are beyond beautiful. Here are a couple from a friend in Wingham, Ontario, a 90 minute drive north of us, towards the east side of Lake Huron:  

Glad you got to see some auroras, Jo! Sorry that you missed the biggest storm, but with solar max around we should be getting more displays soon.

Your friend's pictures are great!

Local TV meteorologists are pretty good about pointing out upcoming sky events, and yesterday's storm was no exception. Unfortunately, clouds also rolled in around dusk. We tried several times to see the northern lights, and glimpsed them faintly through the clouds and haze, but missed the big show. Friends only a few miles away had some great views, however.

The sky is clear again now and we will see what tonight holds.

Soon (hopefully) we will get views of comet C/2023 A3 as it enters the evening sky. There are some great pictures of it online. Here is some of the latest info:

This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 11 – 20 - Sky & Telescope - Sky & Telescope (skyandtelescope.org)