September – Looking South
September 01 |
11 p.m. |
|
September 15 |
10 p.m. |
|
October 01 |
9 p.m. |
(10 p.m. NZDT) |
Crux is now very low, but Canopus (α Carinae) has now become visible once more. Dorado and the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) are higher and easier to see, as are the faint constellations of Pictor, Caelum and Reticulum. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and 47 Tucanae are now nearly halfway between the horizon and the zenith. Although becoming low, the whole of Centaurus and Lupus remains visible in the southwest. Scorpius with reddish Antares is beginning to descend in the west, but Sagittarius is clearly seen high in the sky. The constellation of Piscis Austrinus, with Fomalhaut (α Piscis Austrini), is at the zenith. Below it are the constellations of Grus and Pavo, with Achernar (α Eridani) and almost the whole of the long constellation of Eridanus.
Meteors
There are no major meteor showers active in September. A few meteors may be seen from the Alpha Aurigid shower, active from late August, with possible double maxima on August 28 and August 31. There is one minor shower, the Piscids, active throughout September with a slight maximum on September 19, but with an overall rate of no more than 3–5 meteors per hour. However, September shows a considerable increase in the number of sporadic meteors.
The ‘Teapot’ of Sagittarius is in the upper half of the image and, just below the centre, the small curl of stars that is Corona Australis (north is up).