Late summer and early autumn present the best time of year to see the false dawn, also known as the zodiacal light. With the moon out of the morning sky for the next two weeks, this is your chance to catch the zodiacal light before dawn.
This light can be noticeable and easy to see from latitudes like those in the southern U.S. I’ve seen it many times from the latitude of southern Texas, sometimes while driving a lonely highway far from city lights, in the hour or so before true dawn begins to light the sky. In that case, the zodiacal light can resemble the lights of a city or town just over the horizon. Meanwhile, skywatchers in the northern U.S. or Canada sometimes say, wistfully, that they’ve never seen it.
September 2011 guide to the five visible planets
You need a dark sky location to see the zodiacal light, someplace where city lights aren’t obscuring the natural lights in the sky. The zodiacal light is a pyramid-shaped glow in the east before dawn. It’s even “milkier” in appearance than the starlit trail of the summer Milky Way. It’s most visible before dawn at this time of year because (as seen from the northern hemisphere) the ecliptic — or path of the sun, moon and planets — stands nearly straight up with respect to the eastern horizon before dawn now.
Clock time for dawn’s first light and sunrise in your sky
The zodiacal light can be seen for up to an hour before true dawn begins to break. Look for the zodiacal light – false dawn – about 120 to 80 minutes before sunrise. Unlike true dawn, though, there’s no rosy color to the zodiacal light. The reddish skies at dawn and dusk are caused by Earth’s atmosphere, and the zodiacal light originates far outside our atmosphere. When you see the zodiacal light, you are looking edgewise into our own solar system. The zodiacal light is actually sunlight reflecting off dust particles that move in the same plane as Earth and the other planets orbiting our sun.
We are located in hot springs arkansa and are seeing what appears
To be thus zodiacal light. This light is moving around and changing
Colors. It is 93 degrees nw.
I’m in Phoenix AZ… it’s 8:56 pm and I’m seeing a bright star towards the east hemesphere… this the same light.. its really weird..
I’m from the valley also and have noticed it too. But I’m wonderinf why it’s considered weird?
It’s the planet Jupiter – largest planet in our solar system – now nearly at its closest to Earth and brightest for the year. Jupiter is now rising in the east closer and closer to the time of sunset. Very bright and noticeable.
Jupiter – see comment above.
im in peach spring AZ its 9:05 and there is a bright star going towards west and its weird
I saw this bright light last night and then again tonight. I am in Torrington, WY.
Jupiter.
How odd, my husband called me outside this evening in Lee’s Summit, MO to look at this one extremely bright star. Upon further viewing, I wonder is this one star or two? My husband insists it is one star. The strange part is that the light is so bright it looks like there are some strange lines projecting from it? It is quite beautiful and makes all the other stars pale in comparison–except for the few just like it-but not as bright?
It’s not a star – it’s the planet Jupiter. If your sky is extremely dark and your eyesight is exceptionally good, you might be seeing a hint of one of two of Jupiter’s four largest moons on either side of the planet. Seeing them with the eye alone would be a feat, though. Likely you’re just seeing a “twinkling” effect caused by Earth’s atmosphere.
Still, grab a pair of binoculars and take a look! You should see a little string of moons near Jupiter …
Deborah
Thanks! That was the first thought that came to mind. But I don’t know why everyone is considering it weird. Hmm.