By Matthew Johnson

The September or autumnal equinox will arrive on Sept. 22. The autumnal equinox marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The term “equinox” is derived from the Latin aequinoctium, meaning equal night. On both the spring and fall equinox, the earth experiences 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.

This month’s full moon, known as the Corn Moon, will occur on Sept. 2. The new moon will make its appearance on Sept. 17. 

The bright planet Jupiter with its four Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) and the slightly fainter Saturn and its moon Titan will continue to appear to the naked eye in the south-southeast, with Jupiter to the right and Saturn to the left. To see the moons, though, you will need binoculars or a small scope. Both planets will be easy to locate when joined by the moon on Sept. 24 and 25. Mars continues to brighten and will also be particularly easy to locate when it is joined by the moon on the Sept. 5. Venus is still the brightest object in the predawn sky in the east and will be visible near the crescent Moon on the Sept. 14.

Looking up to the zenith, the bright star overhead will be Vega. It is the brightest of the stars forming the “Summer Triangle.” The other bright stars of the triangle are Deneb and Altair. They are located within the Milky Way, which runs across the sky from south-southwest to north-northeast. 

I advise the $10-15 purchase of a planisphere or a star-wheel, for all who wish to locate and learn the stars and constellations. 

In medieval times, authorities regarded the appearance of comets as a portent of disasters such as war, famine and plague. The Venerable Bede, an Anglo-Saxon monk who lived in Northumbria during the late seventh century, composed a scientific treatise, “De natura rerum” (On the Nature of Things). In chapter 25 he describes  comets as “stars with flames like hair.” He goes on to explain that comets are “born suddenly, portending a change of royal power, the occurrence of a plague, or war.”

During the passage of Comet NEOWISE through our solar system, the East Coast was struck by Hurricane Isaias, causing over $4 billion of damage in the United States alone. The country is simultaneously in the throes of a political struggle, and the deadly Covid-19 virus certainly qualifies as a plague. Of course it’s nothing more than a coicidence. 

More than 40 people drove to the summit of Dennis Hill State Park to view the Perseid meteor shower on the night of Aug. 11-12. It was a beautiful night, and the skies were clear for observing. Some brought cooler chests and reclining chairs, along with binoculars and telescopes, and came from as far away as West Hartford. Most people saw five to 10 meteors, and everyone had a chance to view Jupiter and Saturn through the telescopes we had set up to track them. We hope to hold further occasions to  view celestial events at Dennis Hill.