September 21, 2017
The Moon has changed phase thousands of times since the beginning of the cosmos, but only once did it shine on the night you arrived.
A September Morning Sky
Birthday · September 21, 2017
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APOD published September 21, 2017. Credit: Tamas Ladanyi. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
The Moon, three planets, and a bright star gathered near the ecliptic plane in the September 18 morning sky over Veszprem Castle, Hungary. In this twilight skyscape, Mercury and Mars still shine close to the eastern horizon, soon to disappear in the glare of the Sun. Regulus, alpha star of the constellation Leo, is the bright point next to a waning crescent Moon, with brilliant Venus near the top of the frame. The beautiful morning conjunction of Moon, planets, and bright star could generally be followed by early morning risers all around planet Earth. But remarkably, the Moon also occulted, or passed directly in front of, Regulus and each of the three planets within 24 hours, all on September 18 UT. Visible from different locations, timing and watching the lunar occultations was much more difficult though, and mostly required viewing in daytime skies.
Image credit: Tamas Ladanyi