Sun, Moon, and Stars: September 2002

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff
Sun, moon, stars September 2002
 
 


Major phenomena
7New Moon
13First Quarter
21Full Moon
23Autumnal Equinox
29Last Quarter
Other Months
Month
Year 
(available through 3/2007)
Celestial Links
Astronomical terms

Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset

Equinoxes and Solstices

Eclipses in 2002

Calendar 2002

Universal Time

 
Visit the Astronomy Center for more on the universe, the solar system, and related astronomical phenomena
September 2002—Week 1 (Sept. 1-5)

9/1:
0600 UT, 2 am EDT
Venus is 0 degrees 9 minutes south of Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.
1000 UT, 6 am EDT
Mercury is at its greatest elongation, or angular distance from the Sun, at 27 degrees east of the Sun.
1700 UT, 1 pm EDT
Saturn is 2 degrees south of the Moon.
9/4:
1300 UT, 9 am EDT
Jupiter is 4 degrees south of the Moon.
 


September 2002—Week 2 (Sept. 6-12)

9/7:
0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Sept. 6)
NEW MOON
9/8:
0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Sept. 7)
The Moon is at its perigee, or closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.
1700 UT, 1 pm EDT
Mercury is 9 degrees south of the Moon.
9/10:
0200 UT, 10 pm EDT (Sept. 9)
Venus is 8 degrees south of the Moon.


September 2002—Week 3 (Sept. 13-19)

 

9/13:
1800 UT, 2 pm EDT
FIRST QUARTER
9/14:
1400 UT, 10 am EDT
Mercury appears to be motionless in the sky as its direct motion changes to apparent backward, or retrograde, motion.
9/17:
0900 UT, 5 am EDT
Neptune is 4 degrees north of the Moon.
9/18:
1800 UT, 2 pm EDT
Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon.


 

September 2002—Week 4 (Sept. 20-26)


9/21:
1400 UT, 10 am EDT
FULL MOON
9/23:
0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Sept. 22)
The Moon is at its apogee, or farthest point from Earth in its monthly orbit.
0500 UT, 1 am EDT
Autumnal Equinox [more about the autumnal equinox]
9/26:
1100 UT, 7 am EDT
Venus is at its greatest brilliancy.


September 2002—Week 5 (Sept. 27-31)

 

9/27:
1900 UT, 3 pm EDT
Mercury is in inferior conjunction, that is, the Sun and the Earth are aligned on opposite sides of Mercury.
9/29:
0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Sept. 28)
Saturn is 3 degrees south of the Moon.
1700 UT, 1 pm EDT
LAST QUARTER
9/30:
0000 UT, 8 pm EDT (Sept. 29)
Pallas, the second-largest asteroid, appears to be motionless in the sky as its apparent backward, or retrograde, motion changes back to direct motion.


 

Sources +