Monday 12th to Sunday 18th September 2022
It's a week for observing the four gas giant planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - that live in the outer part of our Solar System. All the observations can be made just after dark, so no late nights are required!
On the evening of Wednesday 14th, a rare event known as a Lunar occultation occurs where the Moon appears to pass in front of the planet Uranus, blocking the gas giant from view for around fifty minutes.
Look to the east at 10pm and you will find a 77%-lit waning Gibbous Moon with Uranus slightly to the left of it. The gas giant will have a magnitude of around +5.7 so you will need binoculars or a small telescope. As the bright leading edge of the Moon, or to use the correct technical term, leading limb approaches Uranus, it will take about 8 seconds for the gas giant to disappear behind it. Fifty minutes later, Uranus will appear again from behind the Moon's dark following limb to the right.
On Friday 16th, Neptune is at opposition, so it will be at its brightest around a magnitude of +7.8 If you go outside around 10pm and look towards the south east, Jupiter will be a little to the left and Saturn will be to the right. Above Jupiter is the constellation of Pisces and at the right hand end of Pisces is the shape or "asterism" known as the Circlet because it resembles a circle of stars. Neptune is below the Circlet. Again, you will need a telescope because of the planet's magnitude.
Screenshots courtesy of Stellarium
Copyright Adrian Dening and Radio Ninesprings 2022
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