Residents across Russia will be able to observe celestial conjunctions of the Moon with Mars and Jupiter during September, according to an astronomer. Mikhail Maslov, a leading engineer at the Vega Observatory of Novosibirsk State University, detailed the upcoming sky events in comments reported by Russian news agency TASS.
The celestial lineup begins in the second half of the night on September 7, when the Moon passes close to Mars in the eastern sky. Mars will reach a brightness of 1.2 magnitude during the passage, with both celestial bodies positioned between 10 and 26 degrees above the horizon. Skywatchers will require an open view toward the eastern horizon to view the alignment clearly.
Two mornings later, on September 9, observers will be able to view a conjunction between the Moon and Jupiter. During the early morning hours, Jupiter will appear positioned above and to the right of Earth's natural satellite, which will present itself as a narrow crescent.
Sky alignments and magnitude
In astronomy, a conjunction takes place when two planetary bodies or stars appear near each other in the night sky as seen from Earth. Although the objects appear close together from the perspective of an observer on the ground, they remain separated by vast distances in space.
Apparent magnitude measures the brightness of astronomical objects as viewed from Earth, with lower numbers representing brighter objects. A magnitude of 1.2 for Mars makes it easily visible to the naked eye under clear atmospheric conditions.
Mid-month star conjunctions
In the second half of September, the Moon will move into conjunction with Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius. On the evening of September 17, a waxing crescent Moon at a 38 percent phase will be situated directly beneath the star.
Antares is a massive red supergiant star recognizable by its distinctive reddish glow. The constellation Scorpius is one of the most prominent star patterns in the night sky, featuring bright stars that outline the shape of a scorpion.
Rare Pleiades cluster occultation
One of the most notable astronomical occurrences of the autumn will be the lunar occultation of the Pleiades star cluster. Maslov emphasized that such an eclipse of the cluster by the Moon happens only once every 18 years.
During this first autumn occultation of 2026, the Moon will pass in front of and hide three of the brightest stars in the cluster, namely Electra, Maia and Taygeta. Maslov said the Moon will present an exceptionally striking appearance beside the star group immediately before the occultation begins and right after it finishes.
A lunar occultation occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and a distant star or star cluster, temporarily blocking the star from view. The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, is an open star cluster in the constellation Taurus containing hundreds of stars.
Previous celestial events
The celestial schedule follows another major event earlier in the year, when residents across Russia witnessed the final lunar eclipse of 2026. During that eclipse, 93 percent of the diameter of the lunar disc was submerged in shadow.
Novosibirsk State University is a major public research institution located in Novosibirsk, Siberia. The university operates the Vega Observatory, which conducts celestial monitoring and educational programs for students and scientific researchers.
