The sky on September 25, 2026
Moon. On the evening of September 25, 2026 the Moon is full moon, 99% illuminated. That day the Moon sets at 5:40 AM MDT and rises at 6:12 PM MDT. Times are for Denver, Colorado; they shift by minutes to an hour elsewhere in the US and Canada.
Visible this week
- Aurora Outlook: Solar Cycle 25 Decline, September 24, 2026 to December 31, 2028. Northern US states and all of Canada; strong geomagnetic storms can push visibility as far south as the mid-latitude US.
Sourced stories
NASA has chosen PRIMA, a far-infrared space telescope, as the first of its new mid-cost Probe Explorer missions, with launch targeted for 2033. Its cost is capped at $1.2 billion excluding launch, and it will observe wavelengths from 24 to 235 micrometers using spare parts left over from Webb. The pick signals NASA can still start new astrophysics missions despite budget pressure on its science programs.
Read the source: Ars Technica (Space) (opens in new tab)
Omega Centauri is the largest and brightest of about 200 known globular clusters, holding roughly 10 million stars. It spans some 150 light-years, lies 15,000 light-years away, and may be the leftover core of a small galaxy merging with the Milky Way. A telescope shows its yellowish red giants, and Hubble data point to a massive black hole near its center.
Read the source: NASA (all news) (opens in new tab)
Hubble's image of spiral galaxy NGC 4698, released Sept. 18, 2026, shows spiral arms that are prominent only in the outer disk. Unlike many spirals, the arms avoid the glowing center and form a ring-like structure around the edge, marked by brown dust clumps and small collections of bright blue stars. It is a reminder that spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way come in more varieties than the textbook picture.
Read the source: NASA (all news) (opens in new tab)