September 2024: During September, Venus migrates southward. This continues until it passes the ecliptic’s most southern point, known as the winter solstice, for the sun’s location on December 21st this year.
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by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus Migrates Southward
Each evening during September, Venus is low in the western sky and farther southward. It crossed into Virgo on August 24th. Its southerly track carries it through Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, and Sagittarius before it turns northward and appears higher in the sky during 2025.
While appearing to move southward, the planet is low in the sky, suffering from a poorly inclined ecliptic with the western horizon. During summer and autumn, the plane of the solar system makes a low angle with the western horizon after sunset. Our views of solar system bodies are poor.
See Venus, Moon, and Spica
During early September, the moon makes another appearance in the western sky.
Here’s what to see with a binocular at 30 minutes after sunset:
- September 4: Venus is about 6° up in the west and 4.4° to the moon’s upper left. The lunar orb is 3% illuminated. Venus is 16.5° to Spica’s lower right.
- September 5: The moon, 8% illuminated, is over 5° above the horizon, and 6.9° to Venus’ left, a snug fit in a binocular. It is 8.5° to Spica’s lower right. Notice that the moon moved 13° against the sky, but its altitude did not change much since last night, an effect of the ecliptic’s low inclination. The Venus-Spica gap is 15.3°.
- September 6: The moon, 13% illuminated and less than 10° up in the west-southwest, is 3.3° to Spica’s left. Use a binocular to see earthshine on the moon. The Moon-Spica pair is an easy binocular target. The Venus-Spica gap is 14.1°.
Venus and Saturn
Beginning about September 10th, Venus and Saturn are visible simultaneously. Venus sets at Nautical Twilight, an astronomical term when the sun is 12° below the western horizon. At sea, the darkening sky and the horizon are nearly indistinguishable. Venus is less than 5° above the western horizon and Saturn is nearly 10° up in the east-southeast. Saturn is higher each evening.
Venus-Spica Conjunction
- September 17: Venus closes the gap to Spica about 1.2° each evening, nearly three full-moon diameters. It passes 2.4° to Spica’s upper right.
Venus continues to step eastward widening a gap to Spica as the star disappears into evening twilight, reaching solar conjunction on October 16th.
Venus Encounters Scorpion
Venus crosses into Libra on the 28th. As September ends at 30 minutes after sundown, Venus is 31° east of the sun and 7.1° to Zubenelgenubi’s lower right, the classic Scorpion’s southern claw, but only 7° above the horizon. During the month, Venus’ setting point moves 15° southward along the western horizon.
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