• Minor meteor shower ongoing: The September Epsilon Perseids are active (Sept 5–21) with a modest peak of ~5 meteors/hour around Sept 9 space.com. Bright moonlight this week is drowning out fainter “shooting stars,” so expect only a few meteors per hour at best space.com.
• Aurora watch: A high-speed solar wind stream triggered minor geomagnetic storms (G1–G2) earlier this week ts2.tech, sparking Northern Lights at higher latitudes. By Sept 11, Earth’s magnetic field calms, so auroras retreat to their usual polar areas ts2.tech – though high-latitude skywatchers should still stay alert.
• Planets on parade: Saturn shines all night, nearing its brightest of the year with opposition on Sept 21 ts2.tech. Jupiter now rises around midnight, and brilliant Venus dominates the eastern sky before dawn ts2.tech. (Mars is very faint and low at dusk, and Mercury is lost in the Sun’s glare around its Sept 13 superior conjunction ts2.tech.)
• Bright Moon & eclipse afterglow: The full “Corn Moon” on Sept 7 coincided with a spectacular Total Lunar Eclipse that turned the Moon copper-red for 82 minutes – the longest totality since 2022 ts2.tech ts2.tech. Now on Sept 11–12, the waning gibbous Moon rises late evening, washing out faint stars and meteors ts2.tech. Only a short window of truly dark sky exists after dusk before moonrise.
• Moon meets the Pleiades: On the night of Sept 12, the Moon drifts through the Pleiades star cluster, even occulting (covering) the Seven Sisters for observers across Europe skyatnightmagazine.com. Elsewhere, the Moon will pass extremely close to this glittering cluster earthsky.org – a beautiful sight in binoculars.
• ISS flyovers & “satellite train”: The International Space Station (ISS) is making prominent passes – a bright, fast-moving “star” in the twilight. This week, evening ISS sightings favor Europe, while pre-dawn passes favor North America ts2.tech. Also, a batch of SpaceX Starlink satellites launched on Sept 6 may still appear clustered in a “train” of lights after sunset ts2.tech (a short-lived phenomenon as they disperse in orbit).
• Rare interstellar visitor: A comet from beyond our solar system, 3I/ATLAS, is currently passing through the inner solar system – only the third-known interstellar object after ‘Oumuamua and Borisov science.nasa.gov. It poses no threat to Earth and is too dim for the naked eye, but telescopes can track it through September before it heads back out to deep space science.nasa.gov.

Meteor Shower: Scant Shooting Stars Under a Bright Moon

If you’re hoping to wish upon a shooting star this week, temper your expectations – no major meteor showers peak on exactly Sept 11–12. The only ongoing shower is the September Epsilon Perseids, a minor display active from about Sept 5 to 21 space.com. This shower peaked around the morning of Sept 9 with at best ~5 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies space.com. In practice, the bright Moon has severely limited the count – observers likely saw only a few meteors each hour even at peak space.com. As we move past the peak, Epsilon Perseid activity will dwindle to perhaps only a handful of meteors over the entire night.

Adding to the challenge is the glare of the Moon. The Moon was full on Sept 7 and remains a waning gibbous, rising in mid-evening on the 11th–12th. Its illumination means only the brightest fireballs can punch through the moonlight. The American Meteor Society notes there’s only “a small window of opportunity to view between the end of dusk and moonrise” as the Moon comes up later each night amsmeteors.org. During that brief dark-sky window after twilight, you might catch an early evening meteor or two (sometimes called earthgrazers when they skim the atmosphere at a shallow angle). But once the Moon is up, your eyes will be fighting its glow – dramatically cutting down visible meteors amsmeteors.org.

Pro tip: to maximize your chances, find the darkest sky possible (far from city lights) and face away from the Moon’s position to reduce its direct glare. Give your eyes ~30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Meteor experts suggest scanning a broad swath of sky about 40° away from the shower’s radiant (for the Epsilon Perseids, the radiant is in Perseus, near the star Algol) ts2.tech ts2.tech. Meteors seen at an angle from the radiant often leave longer, more dramatic trails. Realistically, under the current conditions, patient skywatchers who spend an hour or two outside may be rewarded with just a few “shooting stars” – each one a tiny grain of cometary dust burning up high above.

If you miss any meteors this week, don’t fret – more meteor showers are on the horizon. The Draconids and Orionids arrive in October, and Leonids in November rmg.co.uk. These upcoming showers promise higher rates (especially the Orionids and Leonids) and, with luck, darker skies if they coincide with a favorable Moon phase. So think of this week’s minor shower as a warm-up for the bigger meteor displays later in the year.

Auroras & Space Weather: Storms Settle After Early-September Fireworks

Skywatchers at high latitudes should always keep an eye on the aurora forecast, but for Sept 11–12 the outlook is relatively quiet. Earlier in the month, the Sun treated us to some geomagnetic excitement: over Labor Day weekend (Sept 1–2), a potent “cannibal CME” (one fast coronal mass ejection overtaking another) slammed into Earth’s magnetic field, sparking auroras unusually far south – sightings were reported as far down as Illinois and Oregon in the U.S. ts2.tech. “Impact is expected by late September 1. G2+ conditions possible,” explained Dr. Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist, as the double eruption hit and intensified the geomagnetic storm ts2.tech. Indeed, that solar onslaught briefly reached G2 (moderate) storm levels (Kp ~6) on Sept 1–2 earthsky.org earthsky.org, treating northern-tier states and northern Europe to a surprise display of the Northern Lights.

Following that storm, a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole continued to buffet Earth. This kept auroras dancing in high-latitude skies through Sept 9–10, with minor G1–G2 geomagnetic unrest at times ts2.tech earthsky.org. However, by Sept 11, conditions are expected to subside. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts geomagnetic activity easing back to quiet to unsettled levels as the coronal hole’s influence wanes earthsky.org. In other words, Earth’s magnetic field is calming down, and any auroras will likely retreat closer to the Arctic and Antarctic circles.

What does that mean for aurora chasers? If you live in northern regions – like Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, or Scotland – or far-southern New Zealand/Tasmania, you’re still in the game. Under clear, dark skies you might catch gentle auroral glows or pulsing green curtains on the northern (or southern) horizon. But those of us in middle latitudes (e.g. continental U.S., most of Europe, etc.) will probably not see auroras on Sept 11–12 unless the Sun throws an unexpected flare our way. Space weather is notoriously capricious – forecasts beyond a couple of days carry uncertainty spaceweather.com spaceweather.com. So it’s always wise to stay tuned to alerts from agencies like NOAA SWPC or sites like SpaceWeatherLive. Even a minor uptick (a G1 storm) can bring the Aurora Borealis into view for northern-tier locations, and the Aurora Australis into view for the southern ocean regions.

Currently, the Sun’s activity is moderate. After peaking in late 2024, the solar cycle is slowly trending down, but the Sun still has plenty of energetic regions. In the past day or two, solar flares have remained at low levels (mostly small C-class flares) earthsky.org, and no new Earth-directed CMEs have been observed earthsky.org. Barring a surprise solar eruption, no major geomagnetic disturbances are anticipated for the nights of Sept 11–12. So the Northern Lights and Southern Lights will likely be limited to their usual haunts under the auroral ovals. If you’re clouded out or live too far south to see the aurora in person, you can still enjoy the show virtually – many websites host live aurora webcams from Arctic regions spaceweather.com, so you can watch the ethereal green ribbons dance across someone else’s sky in real time.

Planets on Parade: Saturn Steals the Show, Jupiter & Venus Join In

Saturn, the majestic ringed planet, is currently the headline act in the night sky. All through September, Saturn is visible for virtually the entire night, and it’s steadily brightening as it approaches opposition on Sept 21 ts2.tech. At opposition, Earth passes directly between Saturn and the Sun – meaning Saturn rises around sunset and shines at its biggest and brightest of the year earthsky.org. We’re already close to that point, so on Sept 11–12 Saturn is a brilliant 0th-magnitude object hanging in the constellation Aquarius (low in the southeast after dusk, climbing higher by midnight). Unlike twinkling stars, planets shine with a steady light, so look for a pale yellow “star” that doesn’t flicker – that’s Saturn theguardian.com. In mid-northern latitudes, you’ll find it toward the southern sky by late evening; in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be higher toward the north. If you have a small telescope, now’s the time to use it: even a modest scope at 30× can reveal Saturn’s rings. This year the rings are nearly edge-on from our viewpoint theguardian.com (Saturn is nearing its own equinox), making them a thin line of light wrapping around the planet. It’s a rarer angle that happens roughly every 15 years. Despite the tilt, the rings still enhance Saturn’s mystique as the “jewel of the solar system” – and indeed, seasoned skywatchers never tire of showing Saturn off. “Saturn is the jewel of the solar system… I truly believe it is… a symbol of science,” says Dr. James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist, emphasizing how special the view of Saturn can be theguardian.com.

Joining Saturn in this week’s planetary parade are Jupiter and Venus – two of the brightest planets in our sky. Jupiter is currently rising closer to midnight (around 10–11 PM local time by mid-month). By the predawn hours of Sept 12, Jupiter shines high in the east or southeast, outshining even the brightest stars. It’s hard to miss with its dazzling white-yellow glow. Jupiter is on its way to its own opposition in late November, so it’s getting brighter and rising earlier each week. If you’re up late (or very early), point binoculars at Jupiter – you might glimpse up to four Galilean moons lined up around it. They look like tiny star-like points; watching their positions change night to night is a delight, revealing the mini solar system orbiting the giant planet.

Meanwhile, Venus has reclaimed its status as the “Morning Star.” After a period of invisibility (when it passed between Earth and the Sun), Venus emerged in late August as a brilliant morning object. Now in early September, Venus is blazing in the east before dawn, outshining everything in the night sky except the Moon. On Sept 11–12, Venus rises around 3–4 AM local time and is unmistakable as the blazing beacon in the pre-sunrise sky. Look towards the eastern horizon an hour or two before sunrise – Venus is so bright it can even be spotted against twilight. In fact, it’s currently magnitude –4.6 (incredibly bright), and if you have very clear, calm conditions, some observers can even see Venus in broad daylight by knowing exactly where to look. (We don’t recommend staring at the sky near the Sun for long, though, for obvious reasons!).

While Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus take center stage, the other planets are mostly missing in action this week. Mars, usually a showstopper, is very dim and distant now – it’s on the far side of its orbit, and moreover it’s lingering low in the bright dusk twilight (near the Sun). By about an hour after sunset, Mars sets as well. Even if you manage to spot it (very low in the west at dusk), Mars will appear as a faint reddish point that’s easy to confuse with background stars. Mercury is also out of view, for a different reason: it’s reaching superior conjunction on Sept 13 earthsky.org, meaning Mercury is directly behind the Sun from our perspective. Essentially, Mercury is lost in the Sun’s glare all month and will only reappear in the evening sky by late September. So for now, we won’t be seeing the innermost planet.

For telescope users or avid planet hunters, note that Neptune is lurking in Aquarius near Saturn, and Uranus is in Aries, not far from Jupiter’s path. Neptune actually reaches opposition later in September (on the 22nd/23rd) whenthecurveslineup.com. At magnitude ~7.8, Neptune is too faint to see without optical aid, but with binoculars or a small scope and a good star chart, you could track down its tiny bluish disk. Uranus (mag ~5.7) rises late at night and is theoretically visible to the naked eye under dark skies, but practically speaking, binoculars make it much easier to find (it will be at opposition in November). If you’re up before dawn in a week or two, all five outer planets (Mercury is absent) will be strung across the sky – an impressive panorama from Venus low in the east to Saturn setting in the west whenthecurveslineup.com. In fact, around September 21, early risers can catch Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune simultaneously before sunrise – a true five-planet display spanning the sky whenthecurveslineup.com. But on the 11th–12th, we have at least three bright ones (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn) putting on a show. As Prof. Chris Lintott of Oxford urges, don’t take these planetary spectacles for granted: “It’s good for the soul… to be reminded that we live on a planet that’s in a solar system that’s in motion, that’s part of a galaxy” theguardian.com. Stepping out to admire Saturn or Venus can indeed reconnect us with “the biggest picture” of our place in the cosmos theguardian.com theguardian.com.

Moon & Occultation Highlights: After the “Blood Moon” Eclipse, a Date with the Pleiades

The Moon has been a busy celestial player this month. Just a few days ago, on the night of Sept 7–8, skywatchers across much of the Eastern Hemisphere witnessed a spectacular Total Lunar Eclipse. During that event, the full Harvest Moon (also called the Corn Moon in September) passed through Earth’s shadow and spent 82 minutes in totality, glowing an eerie coppery-red hue ts2.tech ts2.tech. This was a particularly long totality – the longest since 2022 – giving observers plenty of time to soak in the view of the so-called “Blood Moon.” As astronomy educators explain, during a total eclipse the Moon often turns red because Earth’s atmosphere scatters blue light and bends some red sunlight into the shadow, painting the Moon in sunset colors ts2.tech. “Total lunar eclipses can turn a deep shade of red and are often called a Blood Moon,” notes EarthSky, an astronomy news outlet ts2.tech. The Sept 7 eclipse lived up to that moniker. Many saw the Moon turn a dark orangey-red while stars popped into view around it – a breathtaking sight captured in images from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia (where the eclipse was visible) ts2.tech. If you were in North or South America, unfortunately you missed out (the eclipse happened before moonrise in the Americas) ts2.tech. But everyone worldwide at least got to enjoy a brilliant full Moon that week.

In the aftermath of the eclipse, we now have a bright Moon lighting up the night during Sept 11–12. The Moon is in its waning gibbous phase – about 4–5 days past full – which means it rises a bit later each night (roughly 10 PM on the 11th, closer to 11 PM by the 12th, depending on your location). When it’s up, it’s still very luminous (over 80% illuminated) and will wash out a lot of faint stars. This lunar glare is the main reason faint meteors are hard to see this week amsmeteors.org amsmeteors.org. However, the Moon’s later rise does grant us a couple of hours of moonless sky after twilight on those evenings. Take advantage of the early evening to view star clusters, nebulae, or just the Milky Way band – once the Moon ascends, the sky will turn blue-gray with its glow.

Despite its brightness, the Moon itself will offer a special treat on September 12. On that night, the Moon glides through the Pleiades, a famous star cluster in the constellation Taurus. For many locations in Europe (including the UK) and parts of western Asia/North Africa, this will be an occultation event: the Moon will actually cover the Pleiades stars one by one as it rises in the east skyatnightmagazine.com. The event takes place in the evening local time – in Britain, for example, around 21:00 BST the 68%-lit gibbous Moon will rise with the Pleiades right behind it, and over the next hour the stars will disappear behind the lunar disk skyatnightmagazine.com. The Seven Sisters (as the Pleiades are nicknamed) will then re-emerge on the Moon’s dark limb. It’s a spectacular sight if you have a clear view of the horizon! Even where the occultation isn’t visible, the Moon will still pass extremely close to the Pleiades. Essentially, anywhere in the world that has the Pleiades above the horizon at that time will see a close conjunction – the cluster and the Moon side by side. For instance, observers in other parts of Asia or farther east may see the Moon just skimming past the cluster. Binoculars are the ideal tool here: they’ll let you see the Pleiades’ delicate blue-white stars framed alongside the bright lunar crescent (the Moon’s glare may overpower your unaided eyes, but binoculars can help, and you might even catch the fainter stars of the cluster near the Moon’s edge).

This kind of lunar rendezvous with the Pleiades isn’t an everyday occurrence – it’s a reminder of the dynamic clockwork of the sky. As the Moon orbits Earth each month, it often passes near bright stars and planets; sometimes it precisely aligns to cover them, creating an occultation. In fact, later this month on Sept 19, a slim crescent Moon will even occult Venus in broad daylight (visible from parts of Africa, Europe, and Canada) ts2.tech. But for Sept 12’s nighttime occultation of the Pleiades, no special filters are needed (unlike the Sun/Venus event). Just situate yourself with a clear view of the eastern/northeastern horizon (since the event happens soon after moonrise for Europe). If you’re outside the occultation zone, you’ll still see the Moon and Pleiades in close proximity as they rise – a striking celestial tableau that underscores the three-dimensional nature of our cosmos (the Moon is ~1 light-second away, the Pleiades ~440 light-years away!).

Aside from the Pleiades encounter, the Moon itself is an inviting target these nights. If you have a telescope or even a steady pair of binoculars, take a look at the lunar surface when it’s not full – the oblique sunlight along the lunar “terminator” (the line between lunar day and night) throws craters and mountains into sharp relief. Around Sept 11–12, lunar features like the rays of Tycho crater and the Apennine mountain range stand out nicely. And as the Moon wanes further in coming days, even more crater detail will pop out. So while the Moon may hinder deep-sky observing this week, it provides a brilliant showcase of its own. As Prof. Chris Lintott eloquently put it, paying attention to the Moon and planets gives a “real sense of the cycles of life” and our place in the universe theguardian.com – a perspective that’s well worth stepping outside for.

Satellites and Special Sightings: Space Station Flyovers and a “String of Pearls”

Not all celestial sights are natural – some are manmade, yet still awe-inspiring. One of the best is the International Space Station (ISS), which regularly cruises across the twilight sky. On Sept 11–12, the ISS is making visible passes for many locations worldwide. If you’ve never seen it: the ISS looks like a fast-moving, steady bright light, usually visible for a few minutes as it travels west-to-east across the sky. It doesn’t blink (no, it’s not a plane) and on a good pass it can even outshine Venus, making it the brightest object in the night after the Moon ts2.tech. This week, evening viewing opportunities are best in Europe, where around local dusk the ISS may appear and arc across the sky ts2.tech. In contrast, North America gets pre-dawn passes – meaning if you’re up before sunrise, watch for the ISS scooting by ts2.tech. You can check NASA’s Spot The Station service or apps like Heavens-Above to get exact timings for your town. When you spot the ISS, remember: that bright dot is actually a football-field-sized laboratory with astronauts on board, orbiting ~400 km above Earth at 28,000 km/h!

Another spacecraft in orbit catching eyes is China’s Tiangong space station. Though smaller than the ISS, Tiangong can still reach about magnitude 0 or brighter on favorable passes ts2.tech – comparable to the brightest stars. It too makes regular passes at dawn or dusk. While the ISS and Tiangong are single points of light, sometimes we get a more unusual sight: a “satellite train.” In early September, SpaceX launched 24 new Starlink satellites into orbit (on Sept 6) ts2.tech. In the days following a launch, these satellites often stick together in a closely-spaced line, reflecting sunlight like a strand of luminous pearls crossing the sky ts2.tech. If you’re out around 1–2 hours after sunset, especially in the days right after launch, you might notice this string of lights moving in unison. By Sept 11–12, the Starlink batch from Sept 6 will have been in orbit about 5–6 days – likely still clustered enough to see a mini “train,” though they are dispersing each day. Keep an eye out in the post-sunset twilight (looking west to northwest) for a chain of star-like dots sliding by. It can be a startling sight if you’re not expecting it – these formations have even led to UFO reports from surprised observers. (Fear not, they’re just Musk’s satellites finding their places in orbit.) The “train” appearance is temporary; within about a week or two, the satellites spread out and become individually faint. But their initial grouping offers a dramatic (if controversial) display of human technology in the heavens ts2.tech.

Speaking of human-made sky shows, there was a rocket launch “jellyfish” effect visible for some on Sept 10. SpaceX conducted an evening launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida (around 8 PM EDT, which was 00:00 UTC on the 11th) ts2.tech. Those in the southeastern U.S. who glanced up at the right time might have seen a ghostly glowing plume in the twilight sky – the so-called space jellyfish phenomenon, caused when a rocket’s exhaust expands high in the thin upper atmosphere and gets illuminated by the setting sun. If any readers witnessed it, you caught a special sight! Additionally, on Sept 11 a Russian Progress cargo spacecraft is scheduled to launch to the ISS from Kazakhstan ts2.tech (though that one won’t be visible unless you’re near the launch site). These events aren’t “astronomical” per se, but they add to the week’s skywatching excitement.

Lastly, turning our gaze farther afield, let’s not forget the remarkable comet visitor currently in our cosmic neighborhood. Comet 3I/ATLAS is a chunk of ice and rock that is not from our solar system at all – it’s an interstellar comet passing through. Discovered in June/July 2025 by the ATLAS survey in Chile science.nasa.gov, this object has a hyperbolic trajectory indicating it came from interstellar space. It’s only the third known interstellar object after ‘Oumuamua (2017) and Comet Borisov (2019) science.nasa.gov. While 3I/ATLAS unfortunately isn’t bright (currently around 18th magnitude – only visible in decent telescopes), astronomers worldwide are eagerly observing it to learn about its composition and origin. The comet will reach perihelion (closest point to the Sun) in late October, just inside Mars’ orbit science.nasa.gov. Right now, through September, it remains visible to large amateur telescopes as a faint smudge moving through the constellation Sculptor in the southern sky skyatnightmagazine.com. By the end of September it will swing too close to the Sun from our viewpoint and likely vanish in the Sun’s glare until reappearing in December on the other side science.nasa.gov. So, while casual skywatchers won’t see this interstellar comet with the naked eye, it’s thrilling to know that at this very moment a visitor from another star system is buzzing through our solar system. It’s a stark reminder that our Sun’s family is not isolated – interstellar wanderers occasionally pay a visit, bringing secrets from afar. If you’re interested, NASA and observatories will surely share any fascinating findings about 3I/ATLAS’s makeup (for instance, does it resemble comets from our own Solar System or is it something exotic?).

In summary, the nights of September 11–12, 2025 are filled with a variety of celestial sights and events for those who venture outside after dark. From the faint sprinkling of meteors and subtle auroral glows at the poles, to the dazzling planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus holding court, to the Moon’s interactions – both its recent dramatic eclipse and its upcoming star-cluster encounter – there’s no shortage of cosmic activity. Add in human-made “stars” like the ISS and the knowledge of a visitor from beyond (Comet 3I/ATLAS), and you have a rich tapestry of skywatching opportunities. As one astronomer put it, gazing at the night sky is “good for the soul” theguardian.com – it reminds us of the grand cycles and vast spaces beyond our daily concerns. So wherever you are in the world, take a few moments on these nights to look up. Whether you catch a falling star, spot Saturn’s glow, or simply ponder the quiet beauty of the Moon and stars, you’ll be participating in a timeless human tradition – finding wonder and perspective in the night sky.

Sources: Skywatch alerts and forecasts from TS2 Space ts2.tech ts2.tech ts2.tech; Space.com (meteor shower guide) space.com; EarthSky (aurora & skywatching updates) earthsky.org earthsky.org; American Meteor Society amsmeteors.org; NASA Science science.nasa.gov; BBC Sky at Night Magazine skyatnightmagazine.com; The Guardian (expert quotes on Saturn) theguardian.com; and NOAA/SWPC data earthsky.org.