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Nightly News edition

September 30, 2026

The sky on September 30, 2026

Moon. On the evening of September 30, 2026 the Moon is waning gibbous, 77% illuminated. That day the Moon sets at 11:35 AM MDT and rises at 8:49 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.
  • Saturn at Opposition, October 4, 2026. Visible throughout the US and Canada, up all night.

Sourced stories

On the Way

A photo by Radoslav Zboran from Ejulve, Spain, shows the center of the Milky Way rising as Perseid meteors streak above a quiet road. He blended multiple 10 second exposures at f/2 and ISO 6400, shot with a modified Canon 6D and a Sigma 35mm lens, to build the panorama. A fast wide lens and blended short exposures are the recipe for a similar shot at your next meteor shower peak.

Read the source: Astronomy.com

The Sky Today on Wednesday, September 30: Asteroid Nausikaa at opposition

Asteroid 192 Nausikaa reached opposition on Sept. 30 in Pisces, just north of Saturn and Neptune, and shines at magnitude 8.5. About 62 miles wide, it is within reach of binoculars or any telescope, sits inside a diamond of four background stars, and stands highest in the south around midnight. Observe it earlier in the evening before moonrise, though the gibbous Moon should not ruin the view.

Read the source: Astronomy.com