Bresser September Sky Guide

September 2026 sky chart showing the night sky, constellations and planetary positions as seen from 51 degrees north.

September brings steadily expanding hours of astronomical darkness across the northern hemisphere. Observers situated at higher latitudes will welcome the return of properly dark evenings. For mid-northern latitudes located near fifty degrees north, the beginning of the month provides a growing window of true darkness each night. By the end of September, this nocturnal window increases significantly. This welcome extension dramatically enhances the quality of both visual observations and deep sky astrophotography.

Equatorial regions experience much steadier patterns of daylight and darkness throughout the year. Readers situated at equivalent southern latitudes encounter the opposite trend as their hours of darkness gradually decrease with the onset of their Spring. The Autumnal Equinox occurs this year on Wednesday, September 23rd. This is the official start of the northern hemisphere’s Autumn and, conversely, is the Vernal (Spring) Equinox for those readers in the southern hemisphere.

After the excitement of two eclipses (one solar, one lunar) in August, the month of September features two more difficult to observe, but nonetheless interesting astronomical highlights. On the 14th of September, an occultation of Venus by the Moon takes place in broad daylight, as both objects rise from European locations. Later in the month, on the 26th of September, the distant outer giant Neptune reaches opposition.

Wherever you find yourself in the world, it is a busy month in the skies above us - so let us see what is in store for us…

The Solar System

The Sun

August 2026 delivered a spectacular solar eclipse, watched by an estimated 15 million people across its central track of totality and hundreds of millions of others across Europe, North America, the Atlantic and North Africa. Solar eclipses are significant cultural events and are rare astronomical events that bring those not generally interested in astronomy into the fold of observing. Wherever you were, we hope the event was a memorable one for you. If you missed it, we have another solar eclipse on Monday, 2nd August 2027 to look forward to - so the wait, astronomically speaking, won’t be a long one. This forthcoming eclipse is the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century, at a maximum of 6 minutes and 27 seconds of totality. Naturally, we’ll be covering it in future sky guides.

Looking more closely at solar weather and surface conditions, the month continued to provide energetic flaring from active regions. Recurrent coronal hole high-speed streams simultaneously brushed past Earth producing intermittent unsettled periods and minor geomagnetic enhancements. These combined solar dynamics kept auroral observers globally on alert.

Sunspot levels for July - the last full month’s available data at the time of writing - were slightly down on predictions (78.1 to the predicted 95). This is well in line with the predicted decline in activity, which still remains distinctly above average.

As usual, websites such as www.spaceweather.com and Michel Deconinck’s monthly newsletter (Aquarellia Observatory Forecasts) cover various aspects of amateur solar observations and provide valuable insights into the current state of the Sun. Signing up for the AuroraWatch app, developed by Lancaster University in the UK, is also highly recommended for those seeking advance warnings of impending auroral events.

As mentioned in our introduction, the highlight of the Sun this month is the Autumnal Equinox on the 23rd of September at just past midnight (BST). This marks the astronomical start of Autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere.

While we do not have any solar eclipses to look forward to this month, the Sun continues to provide an ever-changing canvas for those with appropriate safety equipment.

Eye safety demands rigorous adherence throughout all solar observations. Direct observation of the solar disc requires ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses, such as the Bresser Eclipse Glasses and other solar filters available here. Standard sunglasses offer zero protection against severe retinal damage for longer-term solar viewing so should never be used as an equivalent. Optical instruments such as telescopes, binoculars or camera lenses must be fitted with approved front-aperture solar filters prior to targeting the Sun. Safety is the key for everyone who plans to watch our nearest star. Don’t ignore the dangers and risk your eyesight.

NOAA Solar Cycle Sunspot Number Progression chart showing observed sunspot activity and predicted ranges.

Latest NOAA Sunspot data. Public Domain.

The Moon

The Moon begins September in a Waning Gibbous phase a few days past late-August’s Full Moon and partial eclipse. It lies in Pisces, a little above Saturn in the early morning of the 1st. Naturally, being heavily illuminated, the start of the month will not provide an optimum experience for deep sky observers and imagers.

The Moon travels through Aries and into Taurus, where it reaches Last Quarter phase on the 4th of September. During this initial week, pre-dawn observers can catch the waning Moon tracking through the morning sky.

Emerging into the evening sky as a delicate waxing crescent, the Moon provides the absolute highlight of the month on the 14th of September. A resident of Virgo, the slender Moon, just 12% illuminated, slides directly in front of Venus in the late morning daytime sky for a notable daylight occultation. This daylight event will require a telescope or good binoculars to witness safely, but is an extraordinary sight. Venus will already be occulted by the Moon as it rises over Europe, but the planet will emerge at around 11.33am (BST). The Moon will be very low in the sky, so a clear eastern horizon and clement atmospheric conditions will be needed to observe the event in full.

The following week sees the Moon creeping rapidly towards the Sun as its phase slims. It enters the daytime sky to become New on the 11th September. This New Moon plunges the night sky into complete darkness, providing the most pristine conditions of the month for deep sky observation.

After this, the Moon continues its journey through Virgo, Libra, Scorpius and Ophiuchus, where it will reach First Quarter phase on the 18th of September. It then traverses through Sagittarius, Capricornus and Aquarius, before returning to Pisces to reach Full phase on the 26th of September. This Full Moon is traditionally known as the Harvest Moon and helped extend the available working agricultural hours in times before artificial lighting was available. While skies are becoming dark once more as true astronomical darkness lengthens, the end of the month will not be ideal for deep sky observations and imaging, due to the Full Moon’s influence.

Sky simulation showing Venus emerging from behind the Moon during the lunar occultation on 14th September.

Mercury

While always an elusive target, Mercury has now swapped from the mornings to the evening sky. For northern hemisphere observers, the path of the setting ecliptic is so low to the western horizon at sunset that Mercury is effectively invisible - only peeking a couple of degrees above the horizon at best during the first part of the month. By mid-September, the planet will be a little higher - 4 degrees high at sunset from 50° north. This sets the tone for observation opportunities for the rest of the month.

Needless to say, equatorial and southern regions, where the ecliptic sets much more steeply at this time, will get excellent views of Mercury into late September. Observers in these more southerly latitudes will see Mercury emerge from the solar glare to put on a respectable evening show.

https://www.bresser.de/media/89/9b/fa/1787669910/Mercury-sunset-sept-30th-2026-1080.jpg?ts=1787669910

Venus

Venus is a bright beacon in the west after sunset, but the low angle of the ecliptic means that from much of Europe, it never appears much higher than 10 degrees up at sunset. Despite its potential prominence, it is likely that Venus will be obscured by local buildings and trees, unless you find an area with a particularly open westerly horizon to attempt to find it from.

As mentioned previously, on the morning of the 14th September, Venus is occulted by the Waxing Moon in broad daylight. The event will be an interesting one for those with a clear enough sky to witness the daytime event through lower-power telescopes and binoculars. However, as we always remind readers, daylight occultations bring with them increased solar safety risks, despite a significant separation from the Sun. Apply caution and common sense to any observations.

Venus will reach its greatest brilliancy between the 20th and 27th of September, shining at an impressive -4.6 magnitude. It will be intensely bright, but sadly, despite its brilliance, it will be a poor object for high-power observations through telescopes for those of us in the northern hemisphere, due to its meagre height above the horizon. Much as with Mercury, southern hemisphere and equatorial observers will fare distinctly better, observation-wise.

Venus in the western sky at sunset on 1st September 2026.

Mars

The Red Planet is a morning target and climbing slowly out of the doldrums. At +1.3 magnitude, displaying a 5.1 arc second diameter disc, Mars is gradually becoming more prominent in Gemini - though much of this is due to its climbing altitude in the northern hemisphere, rather than any meaningful increase in magnitude.

By mid-month, Mars will rise to nearly 50 degrees of elevation in the south-east towards the end of morning twilight for northern observers and has brightened fractionally to +1.2 mag. Sitting below Castor and Pollux in Gemini, Mars reaches its northern hemisphere vernal equinox on the 29th of September. This start of the Martian spring could trigger localised, or even global dust storms, that are always fascinating for planetary imagers to monitor.

By late September, Mars has slipped into neighbouring Cancer and will be obvious as a red star-like point of magnitude +1.1.

Mars in Gemini in the morning sky at sunrise on 1st September 2026.

Jupiter

Jupiter is a morning object, in Cancer, that slowly but steadily improves through the month. In early September, Jupiter rises around 4 am BST and may make 20 degrees in the east before being washed out by dawn. At -1.8, it is prominent enough, but nowhere near maximum brightness.

Around mid-month, Jupiter will stand just over 30° high in the east before sunrise (as observed from 50° north), remaining the same brightness as it was at the beginning of September.

Late in the month, Jupiter will have moved into Leo and will rise around 2.30 am BST and will follow Mars up the line of the ecliptic. By the time the Sun rises at a little after 7am (BST), it will be more than 40 degrees high and can be followed telescopically into daylight. At magnitude -1.9, it will be very obvious and its 33-arc-second-diameter disk will show great detail in steady seeing. While the window for observing the planet after it breaches the “magic” 30° above the horizon is brief before sunrise, it is a sure sign that Jupiter is now a healthy observing target again, after late July’s superior conjunction.

Jupiter in the eastern sky before sunrise on 30th September 2026.

Saturn

Saturn is in phenomenal shape for observation during September. A resident of Pisces in the early part of the month, the planet is in the final stretch of its run-up to opposition in early October. It will rise well before midnight and will reach a decent elevation in the south before sunrise. In early September, Saturn rises almost due-east at just after 9 pm BST and transits in the south at a little after 3 am (BST), at a very healthy altitude of 40°+ for mid-northern latitudes.

This is always a heartening time for observers of the outer planets. As we have discussed in previous sky guides, it has been some time since Saturn was as well-situated as it is now. Its ring system is tilted at roughly 7.6 degrees towards us, which adds subtly to the maximum brightness of the planet.

By the time we get to the end of September, Saturn, now a resident of the non-zodiacal constellation of Cetus, will have brightened to +0.3 magnitude and will display a 19.7-arc-second-diameter disc. The planet will rise before 8 pm BST, making it an accessible and glorious target for the entire night.

Saturn and its major moons at the transit point on 1st September 2026.

Uranus and Neptune

Neptune lies a little further to the west of Saturn in Pisces and reaches opposition on the 26th of September. At +7.8 magnitude, displaying a 2.4-arc-second-diameter disc, it is always the preserve of binoculars or telescopes. Saturn stands around 9 degrees to the east and is a great signpost to Neptune. Neptune will be visible all night long and will reach an altitude of roughly 39° (as observed from 50° north), at its highest point.

Neptune was the first planet discovered thanks to mathematical prediction. While Galileo Galilei was the first human being to observe Neptune and record it in drawings during 1612 and 1613, when it was very close to Jupiter, he recorded it as a background star. Neptune’s true discovery had to wait for the discovery of Uranus by Sir William Herschel in 1781. Subsequent observations of Uranus’ orbit suggested that something large was potentially lurking out in a more distant orbit. English astronomer John Couch Adams and the French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier independently performed calculations predicting the possible position of an outer planet. Neither received a tremendous response from active observational astronomers in their home countries until it was too late. The British astronomical establishment realised, soon after Le Verrier delivered a lecture in Paris on the issue, how close both his and Adams’ predictions were, and while observations were hastily convened, out-of-date star maps and communication issues led to Neptune twice being observed and missed as a potential target. While this was occurring, Le Verrier presented his more detailed predictions of location to astronomers at the Berlin Observatory, and Johann Galle and his assistant Henrich d’Arrest found the planet using the main telescope there.

Uranus, always the brightest of the two ice giants, is a resident of Taurus and can be found between the prominent Pleiades and Hyades star clusters of the constellation. At +5.7 magnitude, the planet is visible to the naked eye under good dark observing conditions, though it is always a lot easier a target in binoculars. Higher-powered, large-aperture telescopic observations will reveal subtle albedo detail on its 3.6-arc-second-diameter disc. Uranus reaches an altitude of 60 degrees as it transits at a little before 6 am BST in the middle of the month.

Relative sky positions of Uranus and Neptune on 15th September 2026, with Saturn also shown in Pisces.

Comets

Comet 220P/McNaught was trundling through the sky at a very faint 17th magnitude when it underwent two large outbursts in August - the second of these taking it to an impressive 6.5-7th magnitude. Comet outbursts are not uncommon, but it is rare that one creates such a marked difference in brightness. Some readers may remember the last really notable one - that of Comet Holmes, which took it from 17th magnitude to naked-eye visibility of 2.8 mag in the space of 24 hours, back in October 2007. While this outburst is not quite as impressive, it is certainly notable and has made the comet much easier to find in Taurus. By the time this sky guide is published, it may well have dimmed down, but it is worth following this comet’s progress to see if any further outbursts take place.

Sky chart showing the position and path of Comet 220P/McNaught during September 2026.

Comet McNaught's path through September (comet position shown 1st September). Image created with SkySafari 6 for Mac OS X.

Comets 169P/NEAT (in Leo) and 161P/Hartley-IRAS (Eridanus) reach the most favourable parts of their apparitions during September. They both provide reliable targets for digital imagers and those equipped with medium to large aperture telescopes. A stark contrast exists between observing perspectives in the two hemispheres. For readers in the southern hemisphere September offers prime high-elevation viewing. Observers in South America, southern Africa and Australasia will enjoy pristine viewing conditions through minimal atmospheric disturbance. Conversely, for mid-northern observers across Europe and North America, the comets remain situated lower in the sky and may be subject to atmospherics. The middle of September provides ideal dark-sky conditions globally as the Moon wanes towards its New Moon phase on the 11th of September. Visual observers can expect to see soft, diffuse comas, whilst digital imagers can capture dust tails, which become more prominent with longer exposures. Paths of Comets 169P/NEAT and 161P/Hartley-IRAS during September 2026.

Paths of Comets 169P/NEAT and 161P/Hartley-IRAS during September 2026.

The previously prominent Comet 10P/Tempel is now fading after its August peak, but remains a viable 9th magnitude target for telescopic observers in the southern hemisphere early in the month.

Meteors

September is not a classic month for meteors. You may catch the occasional extended straggler at the tail end of August’s Perseids, depending on the orientation of the debris fields that feed the shower. There are a few very minor meteor showers, the best of which are the Epsilon-Perseid meteors, which run from around the 6th-20th, the peak of which is seen overnight on the 9th of September 2026. The peak coincides closely with an almost moonless sky just two days prior to the New Moon. This increased darkness allows fainter meteors to show up clearly against the background sky.

The shower arises as Earth passes through streams of debris left behind by an unknown body. Unlike the August Perseids, fed by the well-known periodic comet Swift-Tuttle, the parent shower of the Epsilon-Perseids is unknown - probably a long-extinct comet.

Activity reaches its highest frequency between midnight and dawn when the radiant climbs high into the sky. Meteor watching is arguably the most inclusive of astronomical endeavours as no special equipment is required. Telescopes and binoculars are detrimental to viewing, as their narrow field of view restricts the observer’s perspective. Instead, observers should lie back on a blanket or reclining chair to take in a wide expanse of the overhead sky. Take in as much sky as you can from your vantage point, as meteors can be seen all over the sky - but September Epsilon-Perseids can be traced back to their radiant.

Escaping urban light pollution by travelling to a rural dark-sky site dramatically boosts your visible tally. Allowing twenty to thirty minutes for dark adaptation and avoiding bright mobile phone screens help tremendously when trying to pick out fainter meteors.

Deep Sky Delights - The Summer Triangle Part 2: Cygnus and Lyra

The Summer Triangle is an asterism that consists of the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair, and the term was first associated with these stars by the Austrian astronomer Oswald Thomas in the early-to-mid-20th century, when he referred to it as Grosses Dreieck (Great Triangle) in the late 1920s and Sommerliches Dreieck (Summerly Triangle) in 1934. This area of sky takes in a huge swathe of sky: the constellations of Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, Vulpecula and Sagitta. In part one of our coverage of this area of the heavens, last month, we covered the objects contained within the latter three of these constellations, plus some objects in the neighbouring adjacent constellation of Delphinus. This month we will take in the extremely rich northern end of the triangle - the redoubtable Cygnus and Lyra.

Sky chart showing the constellations of Cygnus and Lyra and prominent deep-sky objects in the region.

Cygnus contains some of the finest nebulae in the sky - including the enchanting target of the Veil Nebula. The Veil Complex – NGCs 6960, 6974, 6979, 6992 and 6995 in Cygnus is a famous supernova remnant, spread out over six times the diameter of the Full Moon. At a combined brightness of +5 mag, The Veil can supposedly be glimpsed with the naked eye under truly exceptional conditions, but is much more likely to be seen (and better observed) in large binoculars and telescopes. The Veil lies underneath the wing of Cygnus, close to Gienah (Epsilon Cygni). The brightest section of this nebula is NGC 6960, otherwise known as The Witches’ Broom, due to its obvious broom-like shape, which reveals itself best in long-duration exposures. NGC 6960 has the star 52 Cygni apparently buried within it (it is in fact at least 10 times nearer to us), making this part of the nebula an easier target to find with non-Goto scopes. The Veil responds terrifically well to the OIII filter – indeed, it is almost the best-responding nebula to this particular narrowband wavelength. This beautiful structure can be seen in all manner of telescopes, but large instruments with low-power, wide-field eyepieces present it spectacularly well.

NGC 6960, the Western Veil Nebula, also known as the Witches' Broom.

NGC 6960 - Western Veil Nebula, or Witches Broom. Image credit: Mark Blundell. Image used with kind permission.

Drifting Westwards, past one of the finest double stars in the entire sky, the Creamy Yellow and Electric Blue of Albireo (Beta Cygni), just across the border into Lyra, The Lyre, sit two notable objects, the first of which is M56, which lies roughly equidistant between Albireo and Sulafat (Gamma Lyrae). At +8.27, it is of similar brightness to the aforementioned M71, though at 2.2 arcminutes diameter – when compared to the larger M71 at 3.3 arcminutes in size – it is slightly more condensed and appears brighter. Indeed, both objects would possibly appear more prominent were they not lying so close to the axis of our Galaxy and therefore obscured by parts of the Milky Way.

Roughly halfway between Sulafat and the neighbouring naked-eye variable star, Sheliak (Beta Lyrae), sits one of the showpieces of the sky, the wonderful M57, the Ring Nebula. M57's enduring popularity as a Deep Sky target may be partially down to the ease with which its location is to be found. Looking like an elongated smoke ring drifting through space, the Ring Nebula is perhaps the archetype of all planetary nebulae. Discovered in 1779 by the astronomer Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix, it was independently discovered by Messier a matter of days afterwards. Rather disappointing in binoculars, yet easily spotted in most telescopes due to its comparatively high surface brightness, M57 takes magnification and filtration (especially the OIII filter) extremely well. Naturally, the larger the telescope you point at it, the more the keen observer is likely to see, but those with smaller telescopes will not be disappointed as long as you keep magnification up.

Messier 57, the Ring Nebula in Lyra, photographed against a dense star field.

Messier 57. Image credit: Mark Blundell. Image used with kind permission.

M57's distance is still up for debate; modern estimates of the central star put it at about 1400-4000+ light years away - quite a variation! It is thought that the former figure is the more correct. M57 is about a light year across from widest point to widest point and has a cylindrical shape which we see from the end - quite the opposite, in fact, to M27's aspect. It is thought that The Ring Nebula is around 5-8000 years old.

Back into Cygnus, climbing higher north up the spine of the Milky Way, we come to a reasonably diminutive, but nonetheless fascinating object: NGC 6888, The Crescent Nebula, a bright, compact nebula which is the expanding shell of a Wolf-Rayet Star (HD 192163), which is steadily shedding its outer layers. The nebula glows due to the fact that its gas is superheated by the collision of the boundary layer of a faster-moving inner solar wind meeting a less energetic layer of solar wind formed when the gaseous layer of HD 192163’s former outer atmosphere was ejected in its previous red giant phase. This bow shock is about 25 light years across and appears to us as a crescent shape, glowing at +7.40 mag. The "surface" of this crescent is incredibly detailed and its complicated texture can be noted in larger telescopes using OIII and UHC filtration. Much beloved of astrophotographers, the Crescent Nebula is a rewarding target for imagers.

NGC 6888, the Crescent Nebula in Cygnus.

NGC 6888, The Crescent Nebula. Image Credit - Mark Blundell.

Right next door to the Crescent, clustered around the star Sadr (Gamma Cygni), is the vast expanse of the Gamma Cygni Nebula. Glimpsed in large binoculars and telescopes from an appropriately dark locale, IC 1318, or the Butterfly Nebula, as it is otherwise known, is a huge patch of red nebulosity, slightly larger in dimensions than the Veil. However, this nebula is very spread out, so its surface brightness is inherently low. It is best visually isolated with H-Alpha filters, but is more easily captured in long-duration astrophotography. The Gamma Cygni Nebula reaches out behind the Crescent and the star that it takes its name from. Sadr is around 750 light years away, whereas estimates for the distance of the nebula vary wildly from 2000-5000 light years.

IC 1318, the Butterfly or Sadr Nebula, showing extensive red emission nebulosity around the Sadr region of Cygnus.

The Butterfly or Sadr Nebula in detail. Image Credit: Mark Blundell.

Further up the spine of Cygnus, just beyond its principal star, Deneb, is another vast nebula system: the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and, tucked underneath it, the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070). Of the two, the North America is undoubtedly brighter (at +4 mag, compared to the Pelican’s +8 mag) and can be seen very well in large binoculars from a dark site. An OIII or H-Beta filter can be used successfully to enhance NGC 7000 in wide-field telescopes, but the complex does not respond well to magnification. Both nebulae are part of the same gas cloud, which may be ionised by emissions from nearby Deneb. If this is the case, their distance would be in the region of 1800+ light years from our Solar System.

NGC 7000, the North America Nebula in Cygnus.

NGC 7000, The North America Nebula. Image Credit - Mark Blundell.

Last, but not least, is a much smaller object, the Blinking Planetary or NGC 6826. This nebula is 2.1 arcminutes in diameter and located towards Iota Cygni. Dimensionally, NGC 6826 is fractionally larger than the Ring Nebula and about the same brightness. The "blinking" nature of this planetary is caused when an observer stares at the nebula’s central star at medium to high power; this overwhelms the eye and the nebula fades from view. When you look away to the nearby +8.5 magnitude star in the same field, the nebula reappears. This is not a unique phenomenon and is noted in other compact planetary nebulae with prominent central stars, but is best seen in the Blinking Planetary. Visually, NGC 6826 presents two brighter regions on either side of its disc. These regions are Fast Low-Ionization Emission Regions or FLIERs for short. These FLIERs are parts of the planetary formation which are expanding at extreme speeds in comparison to the surrounding nebula. It is postulated that these areas are so dense that the ionising effect of the ultraviolet radiation emitted from the parent star cannot penetrate them. The Blinking Planetary and the Saturn Nebula are two of the best-known examples of planetaries that exhibit these FLIERs.

NGC 6826, the Blinking Planetary Nebula in Cygnus.

NGC 6826, The Blinking Planetary. Image Credit: Hubble Image NASA/ESA, Public Domain.