by Toby J. Swaford, K-12 Education Coordinator The week holds a
plethora of sky gazing opportunities. First off, Saturday,
September 18th will debut the very first International Observe
the Moon Night. The evening is an offshoot of many programs that
exist to explore and study Earth’s closest neighbor, including
the very successful Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter which has been
sending back detailed images of the lunar surface. The moon will
be in its waxing gibbous phase on Saturday, moving from a
quarter to a full moon by Thursday, the 23rd of September. As
the moon moves through its phases, there will be a few objects
competing for your attention in the night sky. Monday evening,
September 20th and Tuesday morning, September 21st, will see
Jupiter at its closest proximity to Earth in over 40 years. This
will make Jupiter the second brightest object in the night sky
after the moon. Jupiter will be visible throughout the evening,
appearing almost directly overhead at midnight. As you’re
looking for Jupiter you