September 10-13, 2021: The waxing moon passes the classic Scorpion in the evening sky. Look for them in the south-southwest during the early evening hours.
PODCAST FOR THIS ARTICLE
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
After its spectacular grouping with brilliant Venus and Spica last evening, the waxing moon continues its eastward trek.
During the next few evenings, it appears in front of the stars of the Classic Scorpion, today represented by Scorpius and Libra. The stars Zubenelgenubi – “the southern claw” – and Zubeneschamali – “the northern claw” – are in Libra today. They represent the very old association of these stars with Scorpius.
Here’s what to look for on these evenings:
September 10: One hour after sunset, in the west-southwest, the lunar crescent, 20% illuminated, is 10.8° to the upper left of brilliant Venus and 4.5° to the lower right of Zubenelgenubi.
September 11: The lunar crescent, 29% illuminated, is clearly in the grasp of the Scorpion’s classic pincers – Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali. Notice that the lunar orb is nearly midway from Zubenelgenubi and Graffias – “the crab.” (Apparently, early biologists thought that crabs and scorpions had the same origin or changed from one form to another.)
September 12: The moon, 40% illuminated, is in the south-southwestern sky, 3.3° to the upper right of Antares – “the Rival of Mars.” On some drawings of celestial characters, Antares marks the heart of the Scorpion.
September 13: The First Quarter moon is only about 20° up in the south-southwest, above the Scorpion’s tail. The lunar orb is formally in the constellation Ophiuchus – the Snake Handler – between Scorpius and Sagittarius.
RECENT PODCASTS
Articles and Summaries
- Venus as an Evening Star
- Venus Evening Star (Summary)
- September Planets (Summary)
RECENT ARTICLES
2022, October 29: Eastern Morning Stars Arrive, Evening Sagittarius Moon
October 28, 2022: Arcturus appears higher in the east-northeast before sunrise. Spica arrives in the east-southeast soon. The moon is with Sagittarius and its Teapot.
Keep reading2022, October 28: Morning Mars, Antares Leaving
October 28, 2022: Mars is the lone bright planet in the morning sky. The star Antares – the heart of Scorpius – is near its last evening appearance of the year, known as its heliacal setting.
Keep reading
2022, October 27: Overnight Planets, Evening Crescent
October 27, 2022: Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars are hung across the sky around midnight. After sundown, the crescent moon is near Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius.
Keep reading