September 1: Mercury (m = −9) is 10° up in the east-northeast, 30 minutes before sunrise. It is approaching a conjunction with Regulus (α Leo, m = 1.3). This morning Regulus is 7.8° below Mercury, and very difficult to locate, even with optical assistance and a perfect horizon.
In the evening sky, for most of the month, Venus (m = −4.7) and Spica (m = 1.0) set at nearly the same time, 85 minutes after sunset this evening. As they separate, Venus moves farther south. (Recall that the farther north an object the longer it stays in the sky.) As they slide into twilight the largest time gap in their setting times is 15 minutes. Jupiter (m = −1.9) is 24° to the upper left of Venus. (If the Martian dust storms subside,) At 10 p.m. CDT, when Mars is near the meridian about 22° up, it may provide excellent telescopic views. Mars moved into the boundaries and in front of the sidereal backdrop of Capricornus.