• Rare meteor shower peaks – The newly identified Chi Cygnids may sprinkle a few slow, bright “shooting stars” around September 13–15 earthsky.org, while the minor Epsilon Perseid shower (active through Sept. 21) offers up to ~5 meteors/hour despite moonlight space.com starwalk.space.
• Brilliant planets align – Saturn blazes all night (nearing its brightest of the year), with Jupiter rising after midnight and dazzling Venus beaming before dawn starwalk.space starwalk.space. Mercury vanishes in solar glare by Sept. 13 starwalk.space.
• Moon & star highlights – A waning gibbous Moon rises late evening, washing out faint stars. It glides past the Pleiades star cluster in the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 12–13 earthsky.org. (A stunning “Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse just occurred on Sept. 7–8 timeanddate.com.)
• Comets in the sky – Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS (only the third ever found) is crossing our solar system now, visible in telescopes through September science.nasa.gov. Meanwhile, new Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is rapidly brightening and could reach naked-eye visibility by October space.com. A smaller comet, C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś), is also gliding through the Northern Crown constellation this month astronomy.com.
• Aurora outlook – No major geomagnetic storm is forecast for Sept. 12–13 (quiet conditions expected auroraadmin.com), but we’re near the equinox, when aurora activity often increases timeanddate.com timeanddate.com. High-latitude skywatchers should still watch for gentle Northern Lights glows on clear nights.
• Satellites & space oddities – Keep an eye out for bright satellite flares and trains. SpaceX’s Starlink satellites can flash as bright as stars when they catch the sun spaceweatherarchive.com, and newly launched batches sometimes appear as a startling “train of lights” in the twilight sky spaceweatherarchive.com spaceweatherarchive.com. The era of famous Iridium flares has ended (the old Iridium satellites were retired by 2019 en.wikipedia.org), but the ISS still makes spectacular passes overhead – a fast-moving, -4 magnitude “star” crossing the sky at dawn or dusk.

A “Sweet Spot” for Stargazers in Mid-September

“We’re in a stargazer’s sweet spot,” writes Mark Laurin, an astronomy guide known as “Astro Mark.” “The September sky is full of magic… the night air is still comfortable but with a mere hint of wispy chill” aspentimes.com. Indeed, the nights of September 12–13, 2025 promise a cornucopia of celestial sights. From rare meteors and bright planets to ghostly auroras and satellite flybys, there’s plenty to delight skywatchers worldwide during this period. The following is an up-to-date guide to all the notable sky events and phenomena you can observe on these dates, with expert insights on how to catch them.

Shooting Stars: Minor Meteor Showers on Sept 12–13

Epsilon Perseids – This little-known meteor shower, active from Sept. 5 to 21, just peaked on September 9 with at most ~5 meteors per hour space.com. It’s a much weaker offshoot of August’s famous Perseids space.com. By the 12th–13th the Epsilon Perseids are waning, but you might still catch a few stray shooting stars radiating from the constellation Perseus in the late night and early morning hours. The shower’s radiant (in northern Perseus) rises by ~9 PM local time and climbs high by pre-dawn gmanetwork.com, though moonlight will hinder the fainter meteors. In fact, the nearly full Moon earlier this week has been a major obstacle – the Philippine astronomy bureau PAGASA cautioned that the Moon, just three days past full on the peak night, “will present substantial interference in the meteor viewing” gmanetwork.com. Still, persistent observers under dark skies could spot a few. Laurin advises not to give up hope: the Epsilon Perseids, while small, have “a history of being unpredictable,” so “do not despair,” he said – the shower remains active until Sept. 21 and might still surprise you aspentimes.com.

Chi Cygnids – An even rarer treat may be on offer from the Chi Cygnid meteor shower, a mysterious source that astronomers only recently recognized. In early September, Dr. Peter Jenniskens (NASA Ames/SETI Institute) and colleagues noticed a “bump-up in activity” from this shower using all-sky meteor cameras earthsky.org. The Chi Cygnids appear to flare up roughly every 5 years (notably in 2010, 2015, 2020, and now 2025) earthsky.org. They are expected to peak around September 13–15, 2025 earthsky.org. Don’t expect a torrent of meteors – this is a modest shower where seeing even a handful of meteors is a success earthsky.org. But any Chi Cygnid you do catch will be special: these meteors are unusually slow-moving, crawling across the sky at only ~15 km/s (much slower than Perseids at 60 km/s) earthsky.org. Their radiant is near the star Chi Cygni in Cygnus (high overhead for Northern Hemisphere observers as soon as it gets dark) earthsky.org. Because they’re slow and radiate from near the zenith in the evening, you can start watching right after nightfall – no need to wait until pre-dawn. If you spot any of these rare meteors, you’ll have bragging rights in the astronomy community earthsky.org! Scientists are keen for observations to better understand this shower’s origin (the parent comet remains unknown earthsky.org). Pro tip: to distinguish a Chi Cygnid, trace its path backward – if it points to Cygnus near the star Deneb, you’ve likely spotted one. And as always, to maximize meteor sightings, find the darkest sky possible and give your eyes ~30 minutes to adapt to the dark.

Meteor Watching Tips: No telescopes or binoculars are needed – meteor showers are best enjoyed with the naked eye, which gives the widest field of view gmanetwork.com. Find a safe, dark location, lie back and scan the sky. Avoid looking at the Moon or any lights which ruin night vision. The Moon is a factor this week: its bright waning gibbous phase will be above the horizon for part of the night, outshining fainter meteors. On Sept. 12–13, the Moon rises around 10–11 PM (depending on location), so your best window for meteor-spotting is the early evening after twilight ends and before moonrise. After the Moon is up, focus on the brightest meteors or shift your gaze to parts of the sky away from the Moon. And if you’re clouded out or miss a meteor in real time, don’t despair – many citizen sky cameras and astronomy groups will share meteor videos and counts after the fact.

Planet Parade: Bright Planets & Alignments

Mid-September 2025 offers a planet parade of sorts, with multiple bright planets visible at once during the night. In fact, three of the five naked-eye planets can be seen in the sky before dawn this week. Here’s what to look for:

• Saturn – The ringed giant is the star of the night. Saturn reaches its yearly opposition (when it lies opposite the Sun in our sky) on September 21, but already on Sept. 12–13 it’s nearly at peak brightness and visible all night long starwalk.space. Look for a steady, golden-yellow “star” rising in the east around sunset. By midnight, Saturn climbs high in the south (for Northern Hemisphere observers) and sets in the west by dawn aspentimes.com. At magnitude ~+0.6 starwalk.space, it outshines most stars in its vicinity (the constellation Pisces). If you point a telescope its way, you’re in for a treat: Saturn’s trademark rings are still visible, though this year they are nearly edge-on (tilted just ~2°) due to Saturn’s orbit starwalk.space. Even so, a small scope will reveal Saturn’s beautiful form and perhaps a few moons. “While you will see Saturn with your naked eye, even a small telescope or binoculars at low power will reveal much more,” says Laurin. “Don’t miss your chance to see the sixth planet in our solar system… up close and personal.” aspentimes.com Indeed, this is an excellent time to enjoy Saturn – at opposition it is closest to Earth and “boldly illuminated” by the Sun aspentimes.com, so it’s about as bright and large-looking as it gets. Fun fact: Saturn’s rings themselves are nearly invisible to the naked eye, but their presence makes Saturn’s overall brightness fluctuate year to year. In 2025 the rings are edge-on and contribute less brightness, but from 2026 onward they will start opening up again.
• Jupiter – The king of planets is not far behind Saturn in putting on a show. By Sept. 12–13, Jupiter rises shortly after midnight and dominates the pre-dawn sky starwalk.space. You’ll spot it as an extremely bright white point high in the southwest by morning twilight, far outshining any star (at magnitude around -2.0 starwalk.space). Jupiter currently resides in the constellation Gemini, and it’s unmistakable – unlike twinkling stars, planets shine with a steady light. Early risers on Sept. 13–14 (the morning of the 14th) are in for a special sight: around 1:30–2:00 AM local time on the 14th, the waning Moon (just past last quarter) will rise with Jupiter just a few degrees away, a lovely Moon-Jupiter conjunction in the east aspentimes.com. If you have binoculars, you can try to glimpse Jupiter’s four largest moons looking like tiny dots lined up around the planet. Jupiter is on its way to its own opposition later this year (in December), so it will be a fixture of the late-night sky for the rest of 2025, growing even brighter in the coming weeks.
• Venus – After spending much of mid-2025 lost in the Sun’s glare, Venus now shines brilliantly as the “Morning Star.” It reached its greatest elongation in August, and in September 2025 Venus is a stunning beacon before sunrise, rising about 3–4 hours before the Sun starwalk.space. On Sept. 12–13, look to the east about 1–2 hours before dawn (around 4–5 AM local time) – Venus will be the brightest object in the sky aside from the Moon, blazing at magnitude –3.9 starwalk.space. It appears as a dazzling white “star” low on the horizon in the eastern twilight. Through a telescope, Venus shows a gibbous phase (like a miniature moon). Mark your calendar for a spectacular alignment on Sept. 19, when the waning crescent Moon will slide right next to Venus (and even occult Venus in some locations) alongside the bright star Regulus starwalk.space. But even on Sept. 12–13, Venus is a gorgeous morning sight. As dawn brightens, you might notice Venus seemingly “outshine” the sky – it’s so bright it can even be visible after sunrise with the naked eye if you know exactly where to look!
• Mercury – If you’re hoping to spot fleet-footed Mercury, unfortunately this is not the best week. Mercury reaches superior conjunction (passing behind the Sun from our viewpoint) on Sept. 13 earthsky.org. In practice, that means Mercury is lost in the Sun’s glare and not visible around these dates. In the first few days of September some observers caught Mercury low in the morning sky, but by the 12th it’s essentially gone, heading to the far side of the Sun. It will reappear later in October on the evening side. So skip Mercury for now – there are plenty of other targets.
• Mars – The red planet is similarly out of action, unfortunately. Mars was an evening object earlier in the year, but by mid-September 2025 it has faded and sunk into the sunset. It hovers very low in the west at dusk with a faint magnitude ~+1.6 starwalk.space, likely invisible in the twilight glow. Mars is on the far side of its orbit now, nearly behind the Sun from Earth’s perspective. It won’t become prominent again until late 2025 when it transitions to the morning sky. So, consider Mars “on vacation” – we’ll catch it next time around.

Outer Planets – For telescope users or the curious, note that Uranus and Neptune are also in the night sky. Neptune is actually at opposition on Sept. 23 starwalk.space, so around Sept. 12–13 it’s nearly at peak brightness (magnitude ~7.8) and visible all night in Aquarius – however, you will need binoculars or a telescope to see this distant ice giant starwalk.space. Uranus (magnitude ~5.7, technically barely naked-eye under dark skies) rises in late evening in Aries/Taurus starwalk.space. If you have a star chart or app, you might track them down as an extra challenge. But for most casual stargazers, the highlight will be Saturn’s magnificent presence and Jupiter and Venus trading off as brilliant morning “stars.”

Moon and Stars: After the “Blood Moon,” a Waning Gibbous and Pleiades

Just last weekend, on the night of September 7–8, skywatchers were treated to a spectacular Total Lunar Eclipse – the Moon passed through Earth’s shadow and turned a deep coppery red for 1 hour 22 minutes of totality timeanddate.com. This was the longest “Blood Moon” since 2022 timeanddate.com, and it was widely visible across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. (If you were in Warsaw, for example, you might have caught the eclipsed Moon in the early hours of Sept. 8 before moonset.) Eclipses are awe-inspiring precisely because they’re so predictable yet so dramatic. “Eclipses are one of the highlights of our work at timeanddate.com. When things start to happen in the sky – exactly in line with calculations done many, many years before – it’s a slightly magical feeling,” said Graham Jones, an eclipse expert who helped host a live stream of the event timeanddate.com. If you missed this eclipse, fear not: the next eclipse is coming soon – a partial solar eclipse on September 21/22 will be visible from New Zealand, parts of Australia, and the Pacific (as a bite out of the Sun at sunrise for NZ) timeanddate.com. And October 2025 will bring another lunar eclipse. The rhythm of celestial mechanics continues!

On September 12–13 the Moon is in a waning gibbous phase, about 5–6 days past full. It rises late in the evening and dominates the late-night sky. Specifically, on Sept. 12 the Moon is ~73% illuminated and rises around 10 PM local time (for mid-northern latitudes), and by Sept. 13 it’s a last quarter Moon (~60% lit) rising near midnight. This bright Moon will flood the sky with light, so fainter stars and the Milky Way will be washed out during the hours the Moon is up. However, in the early part of the evening after dusk before the Moon has risen, you can still enjoy relatively dark skies. Take that opportunity to observe the Milky Way arching overhead – in mid-September evenings, the Milky Way’s dense summer star clouds (in Sagittarius and Cygnus) are still visible stretching across the sky. From rural locations, the sight of our galaxy’s glow is breathtaking. Once the Moon comes up, only the brightest stars remain easily visible.

Interestingly, the Moon makes a pretty rendezvous with some stars in the mornings of Sept. 12 and 13. In the pre-dawn hours (after midnight into dawn) of those dates, the waning Moon glides past the Pleiades – a beautiful open star cluster in the constellation Taurus. The Pleiades (also known as the Seven Sisters) look like a tiny dipper of faint stars. On the mornings of the 12th and 13th, the big bright Moon will be near this cluster: on Sept. 12, the Moon is just to the south of the Pleiades; by Sept. 13 it has moved a bit further along its orbit but still nearby earthsky.org. The bright orange star Aldebaran (the eye of the Bull, Taurus) is also in the vicinity. This grouping is a lovely sight in binoculars – you’ll see the glittering blue-white Pleiades next to the lunar disk (though the Moon’s glare will make it tricky; try to position the Moon just outside your binoculars’ field of view). As dawn approaches, the Moon and Pleiades climb higher in the sky. Think of it as a sneak peek of the winter stars that will soon grace the morning sky.

One caution: because the Moon is so bright, be careful if you’re using a telescope – observing the Moon can ruin your night vision for a while. It might be better to enjoy the Moon-planet-star configurations with unaided eyes or binoculars. After the Moon’s last quarter on Sept. 14 earthsky.org, it will continue waning and rising later each night, finally giving skywatchers a dark night sky by the new Moon on Sept. 21 starwalk.space (which coincides with that partial solar eclipse for the lucky few in the Southern Hemisphere timeanddate.com).

One more celestial milestone: the September Equinox arrives on Sept. 22, marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere timeanddate.com. Around the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length. Equinoxes are also linked to folklore and sky lore – for instance, it’s said that you can stand an egg on end on the equinox (just a myth!), and more relevantly for skywatchers, it’s known that the weeks around the equinox tend to bring enhanced auroral activity (due to the way Earth’s magnetic field interacts with the solar wind – more on auroras below). Culturally, many refer to the full Moon nearest the September equinox as the Harvest Moon. This year’s Harvest Moon already happened on Sept. 7 and was extra special because of the eclipse, sometimes earning the moniker “Harvest Blood Moon.” Now, post-equinox, constellation patterns shift – in the evenings, the Summer Triangle (the trio of bright stars Vega, Deneb, Altair) is still high overhead planetary.org, while autumn constellations like Pegasus and Andromeda begin to take center stage.

Comets and Cosmic Visitors: Interstellar Intruder & Brightening New Comet

Comet lovers have reasons to be excited this month. Two notable comets are gracing our skies in September 2025 – one of them is an interstellar interloper from beyond our solar system, and the other is a potentially bright comet discovered earlier this year.

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS – The designation “3I” means this is the third interstellar object ever discovered (after ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and Comet 2I/Borisov in 2019). Comet 3I/ATLAS was spotted on July 1, 2025 by the ATLAS survey in Chile science.nasa.gov. It’s on a hyperbolic trajectory, meaning it’s just passing through our solar system once and will never return – truly an one-time visitor from another star science.nasa.gov. Right now, in mid-September 2025, 3I/ATLAS is crossing the inner solar system. It will reach its closest point to the Sun (perihelion) on Oct. 30, 2025, just inside Mars’s orbit science.nasa.gov. Throughout September, this comet remains visible to large telescopes, though not to the naked eye (it’s hovering around magnitude 16–17 currently, far too dim without professional equipment). Astronomers around the world are studying it intensely because it offers a unique chance to sample primordial material from another star system. “This could be literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” noted T. Marshall Eubanks, Chief Scientist at Space Initiatives Inc., about observing 3I/ATLAS space.com. The comet’s composition and behavior might hold clues to the chemistry of its home stellar system. Interestingly, scientists believe 3I/ATLAS might hail from a very ancient part of our Milky Way (the “thick disk”), possibly making it over 7 billion years old – older than our Sun space.com space.com. During September, as it draws nearer to the Sun, 3I/ATLAS should brighten somewhat (perhaps to magnitude ~14 by month’s end). It will be too close to the Sun to observe after late September science.nasa.gov, as it dives toward perihelion, but will reappear in the morning sky by early December once it swings around the Sun science.nasa.gov. Unfortunately, it’s not expected to become visible without telescopes, but amateurs with decent scopes and CCD cameras might attempt images before it’s lost in solar glare. Professional observatories – including spacecraft near Mars – are gearing up to monitor it space.com space.com. For most of us, news and images of 3I/ATLAS will come via the professionals, but it’s thrilling to know that as we gaze up this month, an alien comet is zipping through our cosmic neighborhood for the first and last time.

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) – This is a new long-period comet discovered in January 2025 by the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona space.com. Comet “Lemmon” has been approaching the inner solar system and is set to reach perihelion (closest to Sun) in late October 2025. Right now, in mid-September, Comet Lemmon is one to watch because it’s brightening rapidly. As of early September it was around magnitude 9–10 (visible in decent binoculars or small telescopes as a faint smudge)aerith.net. By mid-October it might brighten to magnitude ~4–5, which could put it on the threshold of naked-eye visibility under dark skies space.com. Space journalist Joe Rao noted that there’s hope this comet “may even become bright enough to glimpse with the naked eye under dark… skies” as it nears Earth in October space.com space.com. Comet Lemmon will make its closest approach to Earth on Oct. 20, 2025 space.com. During Sept. 12–13, the comet is located against the backdrop of the constellation Ursa Major (for northern viewers) and climbing higher each morning. It’s currently visible in the pre-dawn sky, moving northward. You’d need at least binoculars to detect it at this stage – look for a faint, diffuse patch of light. Astrophotographers are already capturing it as a small greenish fuzz-ball in long exposure images space.com. As weeks go on, expect Comet Lemmon to intensify and perhaps develop a noticeable tail. This could become one of the better comet viewing opportunities of 2025 for casual observers if predictions hold space.com. Keep an eye on astronomy news for finder charts as it brightens.

Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) – There’s another comet gracing the northern sky: Comet Wierzchoś, named after its discoverer (astronomer Michał Wierzchoś). In September 2025, this comet is journeying through the constellation Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown) astronomy.com. Around mid-September (12th–15th) it passes near the star Iota Coronae Borealis astronomy.com. It’s a relatively dim comet, around 9th magnitude as of early Septemberaerith.net, so binoculars or a telescope are needed. Comet Wierzchoś has been putting on a modest show for comet enthusiasts, sporting a short tail in images. It won’t likely get much brighter, but it’s noteworthy as an accessible comet for amateurs with telescopes. If you have a telescope, try spotting it on a moonless morning later in the month (after the 21st when the moon is out of the way). Use star charts – its path near the Northern Crown makes it well-placed for observers in mid-northern latitudes. Southern Hemisphere observers unfortunately won’t have a good view of this one due to its northern declination.

In summary, September 12–13 offers a chance to think about comets – both the rare visitor from beyond (3I/ATLAS) and an upcoming possible naked-eye comet (Lemmon). Even if you can’t see them directly, knowing they’re out there adds a layer of wonder to the night. And who knows – if Comet Lemmon continues to brighten, later in October you might be able to catch it easily with your own eyes as a faint new “star” with a tail gracing our sky.

Auroras and Space Weather: Quiet, But Equinox “Aurora Season”

The ethereal Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are beloved sky phenomena – but they depend on the whims of the Sun and Earth’s magnetic field. For the nights of September 12–13, 2025, current forecasts indicate no major geomagnetic storm is expected. In other words, the Earth’s magnetic environment should be relatively calm (Kp index low), meaning strong auroral displays are unlikely outside of the usual polar regions auroraadmin.com. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center’s outlook doesn’t list any geomagnetic storm watches for those dates, and long-range aurora forecasts show conditions as “Quiet” through Sept. 13 auroraadmin.com.

However, there’s an interesting twist: late September is historically a prime time for auroras. Around the equinox (which falls on Sept. 22), the orientation of Earth’s axis and magnetic field tends to facilitate more geomagnetic activity for reasons still being studied (one idea involves the interplanetary magnetic field linking up more often with Earth’s field near equinox). In fact, astronomers often refer to this period as “aurora season”, when even modest solar wind disturbances can trigger colorful auroras in the sky timeanddate.com timeanddate.com. Already in early September 2025, there have been minor geomagnetic storms – for example, around Sept. 5–7 a CME (coronal mass ejection) sparked a G1-class storm that brought Northern Lights sightings unusually far south in parts of North America people.com. As of mid-month, the Sun has been relatively quiet, but this could change quickly if an active sunspot flares or ejects plasma Earth’s way.

What to expect on Sept 12–13: If you live in high latitudes (Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe, or far Southern Ocean regions like Tasmania/NZ), you should always keep an eye on the northern or southern horizon on clear, dark nights around the equinox. Even with no big storm predicted, there can be faint auroral glows or modest aurora arcs dancing low on the horizon from the steady solar wind. These quiet auroras often manifest as a greenish or whitish diffuse glow that might be mistaken for light pollution or clouds – until it begins to move or brighten. For example, residents of Scandinavia or Scotland under clear skies might see a gentle auroral band if the Kp index creeps up to 3 or 4. In the Southern Hemisphere, auroras are harder to see simply because fewer people live at the proper latitudes, but watchers in southern Argentina/Chile or Tasmania may occasionally catch a low auroral glow to the far south.

If a surprise solar outburst occurs (always possible!), the situation could change with only a day or two notice – so it’s a good idea to monitor aurora alerts from agencies like NOAA SWPC or Aurora service websites. But as of now, no strong aurora storm is “on the menu” for Sept 12–13. That said, around Sept 14–15 there are hints of a minor disturbance – one forecast shows unsettled conditions by the 14th and possibly a G1 (minor) storm by Sept. 15 auroraadmin.com. This could bring auroras visible further south (perhaps northern-tier U.S. states or central Europe) on the night of the 15th if it materializes. It’s just outside our date range, but worth mentioning if you’re an avid aurora chaser.

One other note: with the nights lengthening in the Northern Hemisphere, we are entering the main aurora season which runs through winter. Conversely, the Southern Hemisphere is leaving its dark winter nights behind, so aurora sightings there will become trickier as spring brings longer daylight. Bottom line: For Sept 12–13, enjoy the other night sky sights without too much worry about auroras stealing the show – but if you live up north/south, perhaps peek outside around local midnight to see if a faint green glow might be on the horizon. You never know!

Satellites, Flares, and Other Artificial Sky Sights

Not all lights in the night sky are natural – humanity’s presence in space can create some skywatching curiosities as well. During these nights, be on the lookout for satellite flares and spacecraft flyovers:

Starlink “Trains” and Flares – SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites are now so numerous (over 7,000 in orbit) that chances are you’ll spot one if you watch the sky long enough. Shortly after launch, they famously form a “string of pearls” – a line of bright dots marching across the twilight sky. Back in 2019 when the first batch launched, observers were astonished: “It was one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen,” reported Marco Langbroek in the Netherlands after witnessing the Starlink train spaceweatherarchive.com. Over time, the satellites spread out and fade, but they don’t disappear – and they can produce brilliant flares. As the flat surfaces of a satellite (like solar panels or antennas) catch the Sun, they can momentarily reflect a beam of sunlight to your location, appearing as a sudden bright flash in the night sky. Starlink satellites, in particular, have been observed to flare up to magnitude -2 (as bright as Sirius, the brightest star) for a few seconds spaceweatherarchive.com. Astronomer Bill Keel observed systematic flares from a passing Starlink group over Alabama, noting “the brightest flares reached a magnitude of -2 for about 5 seconds” spaceweatherarchive.com. These flares can be startling if you’re not expecting them – a star-like object suddenly intensifies then fades out. If you see one, you might have caught a Starlink or another satellite glinting.

To catch satellite flares intentionally, you can use tools like Heavens-Above.com which provide predictions for visible satellite passes from your location. While the classic Iridium flares are now a thing of the past (the original Iridium satellites that produced spectacular -8 magnitude flares were all deorbited by the end of 2019 catchtheiridium.com), plenty of other satellites can flare to some degree. In addition to Starlink, you might see flares from objects like old rocket bodies or other communication satellites. These tend to be less predictable and generally not as intensely bright as the Iridiums were, but they’re a fun surprise. If you notice an “unidentified” flash in the sky at a consistent spot, it could be a tumbling satellite catching the Sun each rotation.

International Space Station (ISS) – The ISS remains one of the brightest man-made objects in the night sky. It’s essentially a moving “star” that can outshine Jupiter and approach Venus in brilliance (often around magnitude -3 to -4 at its brightest). The ISS orbits Earth every ~90 minutes, so there are multiple opportunities per day to see it when it passes overhead near your location. These opportunities cluster for a couple of weeks (then the ISS’s orbit precesses and passes happen in daytime). In mid-September 2025, many locations worldwide have predawn ISS passes. For example, over Europe the ISS might be visible before morning twilight, zipping from west to east in about 5 minutes. Check a tracking app or NASA’s “Spot the Station” site for your local pass times. It’s always a thrill to see the ISS appear on the horizon and silently glide across the sky – knowing that astronauts are aboard that fast-moving bright dot. If you’ve never seen it, don’t miss the chance; it’s visible to the naked eye and easy to spot once you know when/where to look. (Pro tip: the ISS looks like an airplane at first, but it has no blinking lights and maintains a steady speed and brightness until it fades into Earth’s shadow.)

Other Satellites – There are many other satellites and spacecraft up there that keen observers sometimes watch for. For instance, China’s Tiangong space station is smaller but can still reach about magnitude 0 when conditions are right, making it visible as a slower-moving star. Some older satellites like Envisat or the Hubble Space Telescope can also be observed gliding overhead if you have predictions. None are as regular or bright as the ISS, but if you become a satellite-spotting enthusiast, you’ll find the sky is quite busy.

One interesting phenomenon is satellite reentries – occasionally, a spent rocket stage or old satellite will fall back to Earth and burn up, creating a slow-moving fireball. These are rare to catch and not predictable far in advance. There’s no known reentry scheduled exactly for Sept 12–13, but it’s the kind of wild card that could happen (usually there would be news if a large one were coming down).

Lastly, if you’re out at dusk or dawn, you might also notice the twilight glow of the zodiacal light (also called the “false dawn”). This appears as a faint triangular glow on the horizon caused by sunlight reflecting off interplanetary dust. It’s usually best seen in late summer/autumn pre-dawn for the Northern Hemisphere. With the Moon being bright this week, the zodiacal light will be tough to spot, but after the new Moon (Sept 21) it could become visible again before morning twilight.

Conclusion: Eyes to the Sky!

With a mix of minor meteor showers, brilliant planets, a storybook Moon, and even an interstellar comet in our midst, the nights of September 12–13, 2025 are packed with cosmic wonder. It’s a time of transition – summer constellations giving way to autumn ones, the Moon shrinking from its eclipse glory, and the skies preparing for the equinox. As Mark Laurin eloquently put it, “September ushers in the season of harvest… and thus it is so with our September night sky. A sky rich, full of delightful objects to view and events to observe. Get out, and look up any pleasant night this month. The cosmos awaits.” aspentimes.com Enjoy the show!

Sources:

• American Meteor Society, PAGASA and GMA News – meteor shower forecasts and viewing advice gmanetwork.com gmanetwork.com
• EarthSky.org – September 2025 sky guide (Chi Cygnids, planets, moon) earthsky.org earthsky.org
• Aspen Times (Astro Mark Laurin’s insights) – local astronomy guide on September sky events aspentimes.com aspentimes.com
• Space.com (Joe Rao, Anthony Wood) – expert astronomy news on meteor showers and comets space.com space.com
• NASA Science, JPL – Comet 3I/ATLAS interstellar comet background science.nasa.gov science.nasa.gov
• Timeanddate.com – September 2025 eclipse and equinox details timeanddate.com timeanddate.com
• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center – geomagnetic/aurora activity reports auroraadmin.com
• Spaceweather.com archive – Starlink satellite train and flare observations spaceweatherarchive.com spaceweatherarchive.com
• Wikipedia (Iridium constellation) – satellite flare history en.wikipedia.org.