The September equinox marks a moment of balance in Earth’s yearly journey around the sun. But what’s really happening on Earth at the equinox and why does this moment matter? And, most importantly, how can you experience it? Join EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd for tips. Watch in the player above or on YouTube at noon CDT (17 UTC) today, September 16.
September 16 and 17 evenings: Moon near Antares
This evening and tomorrow evening, the waxing crescent moon will visit red Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. Scorpius is one of the few constellations that looks like its name. If your night sky is dark enough, even from small cities, you should be able to pick out the Scorpion’s curved “tail.” Chart via EarthSky.
Our charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. To see a precise view — and time — from your location, try Stellarium Online.
Venus brightest this week!
Join EarthSky’s Marcy Curran for your skywatching best bets for the week of September 14. Don’t miss dazzling Venus at its brightest this week in the west after sunset. Plus, this Saturday, September 19, is International Observe the Moon Night. See what’s in store in the night sky this week.
The big picture: September’s 5 best sky sights
September 2026 has an especially beautiful night sky! In this livestream with host Deborah Byrd, we’ll look at 5 things you won’t want to miss. So join us! Watch in the player above, or on YouTube.
September 18: 1st quarter moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Amol Gaikaiwari took this picture on May 23, 2026, in India and wrote: “The moon was in its first quarter phase. It was roughly 51% illuminated, with half of the lunar disk brightly lit against the night sky.” Thank you, Amol! This month’s moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 20:44 UTC on September 18, 2026. That’s 3:44 p.m. Central Daylight Time in the Americas. And it’s 8:44 a.m. New Zealand Standard Time on September 19. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.
On the evening of September 18, the 1st quarter moon will lie low in the south near the direction of the center of the Milky Way. It’ll be near the spout of the Teapotasterism of Sagittarius the Archer. Then, on the following evening, the waxing gibbous moon will float among the stars of the Teapot. They’ll set around the middle of the night. Chart via EarthSky.
These are satellite views of Earth on the solstices and equinoxes. The September equinox – aka the autumnal equinox – marks the sun’s crossing above Earth’s equator, moving from north to south. Earth’s tilt on its axis is what causes this southward shift of the sun’s path across our sky at this time of year. Earth’s tilt is now bringing fall and winter to the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, the September equinox marks the beginning of spring – and a shift toward summer – in the Southern Hemisphere. The sun crosses the celestial equator – a line directly above Earth’s equator – at 0:05 UTC on September 23, 2026 (7:05 p.m. CDT on September 22). And it’s 12:05 p.m. New Zealand Standard Time on September 23. Read more about this image. Images via NASA Earth Observatory.
Full Harvest Moon September 26
The bright full Harvest Moon will float near Saturn in the eastern sky after sunset on September 26. If you don’t spot Saturn right away, try to block out the light of the full moon with your finger. Chart via EarthSky.
Our charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
September 28 evening: Moon near Pleiades
The bright waning gibbous moon will float near the Pleiades star cluster on the evening of September 28. Chart via EarthSky.
September 29 and 30 evenings: Moon near Pleiades
Late on the evenings of September 29 and 30, the waning gibbous moon will visit the Pleiades star cluster. The fiery eye of Taurus the Bull, Aldebaran, will shine nearby. Chart via EarthSky.
September evening planets
This chart is for the Northern Hemisphere. Brilliant Venus will hang low in the west shortly after sunset in early September. On September 1 and 2, it will lie in the bright twilight close to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. They’ll be roughly 2 full-moon widths apart. By the middle of the month, Venus has moved away from Spica. On September 14, the crescent moon will be near Venus. And around September 18, Venus will be at its greatest brilliancy. By the end of the month, Venus will be quite low in the bright western twilight. Chart via EarthSky.This chart is for the Southern Hemisphere. Brilliant Venus will hang low in the west shortly after sunset in mid-September. And elusive Mercury will lie low on the horizon, with the bright star Spica between them. The moon will also float between them on September 12. Around September 18, Venus will be lower in the sky, and Mercury will be easier to spot. Venus will also be at its greatest brilliancy. Then, around September 25, Mercury will lie close to Spica. Chart via EarthSky.Saturn will lie in the east in the evening hours of September. It is in a lonely part of the sky as there are no bright stars near it. Chart via EarthSky.
September morning planets
Bright Jupiter will lie in the east shortly before sunrise in early September. By mid-month, it will be joined by Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. At the end of September, their gap will narrow as they climb higher above the eastern horizon. Chart via EarthSky.Red Mars will float near the stars Castor and Pollux high in the eastern sky shortly before sunrise in early September. By mid-month, Mars will move close to Pollux. Then, on September 25, Mars will line up with Castor and Pollux. Chart via EarthSky.
September stars
If you’re out stargazing on any September evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the evening sky.
If you have a dark sky, it’s easy to observe the edgewise view into our own galaxy – our Milky Way – spanning across the heavens. Need help finding it? Look toward the constellation Cygnus the Swan. You might know this constellation by its asterism, the Northern Cross. The Swan swims along the Milky Way. Its brightest star is Deneb, the Swan’s Tail. Additionally, the constellation Cygnus contains one of the most beloved double stars in the sky, Albireo, which appears blue and gold.The constellation Lyra the Harp is another summer favorite. It consists of a triangle and a parallelogram. Its brightest star is Vega Then, look next to it for the famous Double Double Star, Epsilon Lyrae. It’s really 4 stars in all.On September evenings, the house-shaped constellation Cepheus the King lies upside down in the northern sky. It’s between the W shape of Cassiopeia and the Little Dipper, an asterism in Ursa Minor.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
Here is the sky dome view for September 2026. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar.
Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide: The waxing crescent moon hangs near red Antares this evening. Watch a video about the upcoming September equinox, too.
Meet Marcy Curran, our voice of the night sky on EarthSky YouTube. Check out her popular short videos in the Sky category on our YouTube channel. When she's not making videos, Marcy is an EarthSky editor, helping to keep our night sky guide up-to-date and just generally helping to keep the wheels turning around here. Marcy has enjoyed stargazing since she was a child, going on family camping trips under the dark skies of Wyoming. She bought her first telescope in time to see Halley’s Comet when it visited the inner solar system in 1986. She co-founded her local astronomy club and remains an active board member. Marcy taught astronomy at her local community college for over 20 years. She and her husband live in Wyoming, in a rural location, with an all-sky camera and super-good horizon views! And, they built an observatory to capture images of the night sky.
“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations at age 6. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 24,000 members. He's earned the title of Master Observer and is a regular contributor to the video series, “Global Star Party.” He has authored the celestial observing guides “Exploring the Starry Realm,” and “Carpe Lunam,” and “Take Your First Steps, an Introduction to Amateur Astronomy.” John also wrote for twenty years the monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and currently writes a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
Kelly Kizer Whitt writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.
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