Sun, Moon, and Stars: September 2002

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

September 2002 Overview Week by Week Go to week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Major phenomena 7 New Moon 13 First Quarter 21 Full Moon 23 Autumnal Equinox 29 Last Quarter UT (universal time) Other Months Month February JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember Year 20072006200520042003200220012000 (available through 3/2007) Celestial Links Astronomical terms Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset Equinoxes and Solstices Eclipses in 2002 Calendar 2002 Universal Time Visit the Astronomy Center for more on the universe, the solar system, and related astronomical phenomena

September 2002—Week 1 (Sept. 1-5)

9/1:	0600 UT, 2 am EDT Venus is 0 degrees 9 minutes south of Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. 1000 UT, 6 am EDT Mercury is at its greatest elongation, or angular distance from the Sun, at 27 degrees east of the Sun. 1700 UT, 1 pm EDT Saturn is 2 degrees south of the Moon.
9/4:	1300 UT, 9 am EDT Jupiter is 4 degrees south of the Moon.

September 2002—Week 2 (Sept. 6-12)

9/7:	0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Sept. 6) NEW MOON
9/8:	0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Sept. 7) The Moon is at its perigee, or closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. 1700 UT, 1 pm EDT Mercury is 9 degrees south of the Moon.
9/10:	0200 UT, 10 pm EDT (Sept. 9) Venus is 8 degrees south of the Moon.
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September 2002—Week 3 (Sept. 13-19)

9/13:	1800 UT, 2 pm EDT FIRST QUARTER
9/14:	1400 UT, 10 am EDT Mercury appears to be motionless in the sky as its direct motion changes to apparent backward, or retrograde, motion.
9/17:	0900 UT, 5 am EDT Neptune is 4 degrees north of the Moon.
9/18:	1800 UT, 2 pm EDT Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon.
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September 2002—Week 4 (Sept. 20-26)

9/21:	1400 UT, 10 am EDT FULL MOON
9/23:	0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Sept. 22) The Moon is at its apogee, or farthest point from Earth in its monthly orbit. 0500 UT, 1 am EDT Autumnal Equinox [more about the autumnal equinox]
9/26:	1100 UT, 7 am EDT Venus is at its greatest brilliancy.
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September 2002—Week 5 (Sept. 27-31)

9/27:	1900 UT, 3 pm EDT Mercury is in inferior conjunction, that is, the Sun and the Earth are aligned on opposite sides of Mercury.
9/29:	0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Sept. 28) Saturn is 3 degrees south of the Moon. 1700 UT, 1 pm EDT LAST QUARTER
9/30:	0000 UT, 8 pm EDT (Sept. 29) Pallas, the second-largest asteroid, appears to be motionless in the sky as its apparent backward, or retrograde, motion changes back to direct motion.
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