September 2024 Sky: As September unfolds, stargazers have a celestial feast to look forward to, with the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn making a spectacular return to the night sky. And they are not coming alone, but bringing along their intriguing moons, offering captivating views — only for those equipped with telescopes or binoculars, of course.
Here’s what you can expect this month as you gaze skyward.
Saturn And Its Many Moons
Saturn, the ringed planet, boasts an impressive 146 identified moons as of September 2024, according to NASA. These moons vary greatly in size, from tiny celestial bodies only a few hundred feet across to Titan, the second-largest moon in our solar system.
Despite Saturn’s vast distance of nearly 900 million miles from Earth, Titan is easily visible with a 4-inch telescope even in urban or suburban skies.
Titan, with its thick atmosphere of mostly nitrogen, was briefly explored by the Huygens probe in 2005, part of the Cassini-Huygens mission. This mission revealed Titan’s intriguing surface, setting the stage for NASA’s upcoming Dragonfly mission, which will further explore Titan in the 2030s.
Another of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, also offers a fascinating sight. The Cassini mission revealed that Enceladus has plumes of ice erupting from beneath its surface, adding to the beauty of Saturn’s iconic rings.
Like Earth’s Moon, Enceladus remains tidally locked with Saturn, always presenting the same face toward the planet.
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Jupiter And The Galilean Moons
While Jupiter may not hold the record for the most moons, it certainly has some of the most remarkable. Four of Jupiter’s 95 moons, known as the Galilean Moons — Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa — are easily visible with small binoculars or telescopes. These moons, which align in a clear line when viewed from Earth, were first discovered by Galileo in 1610 and continue to be a highlight for amateur astronomers.
Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system — even larger than the planet Mercury. It has its own magnetic field and may harbour a saltwater ocean beneath its icy surface, NASA says.
Callisto, meanwhile, is known for its heavily cratered surface. It is the third largest moon in our solar system and takes just 17 days to orbit Jupiter.
Io is the closest of the Galilean moons to Jupiter and is a volcanic wonder, with intense volcanic activity caused by the gravitational pull of Jupiter. This activity can be observed from Earth’s largest telescopes.
Europa, the smallest of the Galilean moons, is perhaps the most intriguing. It is believed to have a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust, making it a strong candidate for supporting life. NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, set to launch in October 2024, will explore this possibility in greater detail.
The September Supermoon
September also brings an opportunity to celebrate our own Moon. The NASA International Observe the Moon Night is on September 14, 2024, leading up to the super full Moon on September 17. September full Moon is also called the Corn Moon, and this event is a global celebration of lunar observation, and a perfect time to reflect on the significance of our closest celestial neighbour.
In the Indian subcontinent, this full Moon — also called the Barley Moon or the Harvest Moon in the West — marks the beginning start of Pitri Paksha (fortnight of the ancestors), during which Hindus pay homage to their ancestors. Pitri Paksha begins with the full Moon in the Bhadrapada lunar month ends with the Mahalaya Amavasya (new Moon). Mahalaya is the last day of Pitri Paksha, after which Devi Paksha starts during which the Durga Puja festival and Sharadiya Navratri are celebrated.
