A journey in the Milky Way | Newspapers in Education

Do you feel like you've missed your last summer vacation? Do not worry – you can always take a trip to the Milky Way in late summer. The last days of summer are upon us and that means the sun is setting earlier now. These previous sunsets reveal a starry sky cut in two by the Milky Way. Want to see this view of our galaxy? Rendezvous on your favorite getaway to the dark sky or the darkest urban park or open urban space.

While you are waiting for a glimpse of the Milky Way, you will also have an unobstructed view of the planets of our solar system. Keep an eye right after sunset and you can see Venus. If you have binoculars or a telescope, you will see that the phase of Venus will change drastically in September – from almost half-phase to a larger and finer crescent.

Jupiter, Saturn and reddish Mars are the next ones in the sky, as they continue their brilliant appearances this month. To see them, look to the southwest after sunset. If you are in a dark sky and look above and below Saturn, you can not miss the summer Milky Way that crosses the sky from south-west to north-east. You can also use the summer constellations to help you chart a path through the Milky Way. For example, there is Sagittarius, where stars and some brighter groups appear as steam from a teapot. There is also Aquila, where the brilliant star of the Eagle, Altair, is added to the Deneb of Cygnus and Vega of Lyra.

The binoculars will reveal double stars, clusters and nebulae all along the milky way. Between September 12 and September 20, watch the moon pass from near Venus, above Jupiter, to the left of Saturn and finally over Mars.

This month, Neptune and Uranus brighter can also be spotted with the help of a telescope. To see them, look in the southeast sky at 1 am or later. If you stay awake, you can also find Mercury just above the eastern horizon of Earth, shortly before sunrise. Use the moon as a guide on September 7th and 8th. Although there is no heavy meteor showers in September, cometary dust appears in another view of late summer, the morning zodiacal light. The zodiacal light looks like a cone of soft light in the night sky. It is produced when sunlight is dispersed by dust in our solar system. Try to look for it in the east just before sunrise on moonless mornings from September 8th to 23rd. You can follow all current and future NASA missions at www.nasa.gov.