This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2025 Sept 6 – Sept 13
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2025 Sept 6 – Sept 13
Two stellar crowns are included among the 88 official constellations. Both are above our horizon around 9 pm but one requires an unobstructed and near-pristine sky to the south. Both crowns arise from mythological tales of the popular demigod Dionysus (Bacchus in Roman mythology), the god of wine.
Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is a pretty semicircle of stars situated high in the west, one third of the way from Arcturus to Vega. In mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She helped Theseus slay the bull-headed Minotaur and escape from the Labyrinth, and she accompanied him and his crew on a voyage home to Athens where they were to wed. Along the way they stopped at the island home of Dionysus, who was a great and wily host. After a night of revelry Theseus was forced into leaving without Ariadne, and Dionysus presented her with a beautiful crown if she would be his bride. The crown was placed in the sky to commemorate their wedding.
The Sagittarius teapot asterism is low in the south at 9 pm this week, and Corona Australis, the Southern Crown, rides the horizon below. This semicircle of stars is sometimes called the lemon wedge asterism, to go with the teapot and the teaspoon above the teapot’s handle. Dionysus was the result of an affair between Zeus and a mortal woman. The gods had to be careful in such affairs as mortals could not withstand the full passionate heat of their embrace. Vengeful Hera, the wife of Zeus, tricked the now-pregnant woman into requesting Zeus hold her as he would a goddess, and as expected she did not survive. The unborn child was sewn into the thigh of Zeus and raised by his aunt after birth. Later, Dionysus honoured his mother by placing a wreath in the sky. Such a start in life would drive anyone to drink.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:46 and sunset will occur at 7:47, giving 13 hours, 1 minute of daylight (6:52 and 7:51 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:55 and set at 7:33, giving 12 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (7:00 and 7:38 in Saint John).
The Moon is full this Sunday, near Saturn on Monday and the Pleiades next Friday. Saturn rises before 8:30 pm this weekend and a half hour sooner next weekend. Binocular users might catch Mars moving toward Spica over the week, low in the west and setting an hour after sunset. This weekend the brightest planet and the brightest star, Venus in the east and Sirius in the southeast, are at the same altitude. Above, Jupiter is nearly level with the two brightest stars in Gemini and Orion. Mercury is too close to the Sun for viewing as it reaches superior conjunction next weekend.
The Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre this Saturday at 7 pm. The fall star party at Kouchibouguac National Park takes place next Friday and Saturday, See the RASC NB website for details.