The full moon will be joined in the night sky by Jupiter and Neptune on Saturday (September 10).
The full moon will be visible at 5:58 a.m. EDT (0958 GMT) on Saturday (September 10). The moon is visible for most of the night at this time of the month, rising near dusk and setting just before dawn. The moon officially becomes a full moon when it appears in the sky completely opposite (180 degrees from the sun).
The September full moon is also called Harvest Moon in the Northern Hemisphere, as this full moon falls near the autumnal equinox, which traditionally marks the beginning of the harvest season. This month’s full moon will also appear in the sky near two of its celestial companions in our solar system, Jupiter and Neptune.
Related: Harvest Moon 2022: When and how to see September’s full moon
Jupiter will look especially bright this month because it is at opposition, meaning Earth is between the giant planet and the sun. Jupiter will be bright enough all month to be visible to the naked eye, but will offer a spectacular view through binoculars or a backyard telescope. Jupiter will appear about 8 degrees to the left of the moon at midnight, then pass to about 6 degrees above the moon at 5:47 a.m. EDT (0947 GMT), according to NASA Science’s Daily Sky Observing Guide (opens in a new tab). (A fist at arm’s length corresponds to approximately 10 degrees to the sky.)
Neptune will also appear in the sky, although the distant ice giant will not be as bright and visible as Jupiter. Neptune will rise just after 10:00 PM EDT (02:00 GMT September 11) and travel west across the sky toward the southeastern stars of the constellation Aries. The planet will be about 4.5 degrees northwest of the moon, but another way to spot Neptune is to look for the medium-brightness star 20 Piscium a few finger-widths above the moon; Neptune will be just west of it.
Neptune will be a bit dim at magnitude 7.8, and the bright full moon will make it even harder to see; Neptune will be slightly brighter in the following nights and will be even brighter when it reaches opposition on Friday, September 16.
You can consult our guides for the best binoculars and the better telescopes to spot the Harvest Moon, Jupiter, Neptune or any other celestial object in the night sky. If you want to capture a good photo of the moon, check out our recommendations for the best cameras for astrophotography i best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Note: If you take a photo of the Harvest Moon near Jupiter and Neptune and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@ space.com.
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