What’s Up in Denver? August 31st through September 6th, 2026

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Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

August 31:

The Moon near Saturn
The Moon near Saturn

September 1:

Venus next to Spica
Venus next to Spica
  • Catch Venus right next to Spica. Look for the bright evening star, Venus, within about a degree of the alpha star of Virgo low in the western sky just after sunset: 8:15PM
  • The Aurigid meteor shower peaks. This annual meteor shower caused by the debris left behind by Comet C/1911 N1 should bring about 6 meteors per hour tonight radiating near θ Aurigae after 11:00PM.
  • SCFD Free Night: Free, in-person event at Denver Museum of Nature and Science: 4:00PM

September 2:

September 3:

The Pleiades near the Moon
The Pleiades near the Moon

September 4:

Sommers-Bausch Observatory
Sommers-Bausch Observatory

September 5:

©2021 Scott Dankoff
Milky Way over Westcliffe, Colorado ©2021 Scott Dankoff https://www.scottdankofphoto.com/index/I0000l5DYhhwuKQo

September 6:

The Moon next to Mars
The Moon next to Mars
  • Look for the waning crescent Sturgeon Moon next to Mars with the twins Castor and Pollux nearby, low in the eastern sky in the constellation Gemini around 2:15AM
  • The waning crescent Sturgeon Moon reaches Perigee, it’s closest distance to the earth in its elliptical orbit at a distance of 368,255 km at 12:20AM

This Week’s Solar System Summary:

  • The Sun rises about 6:27 AM at the start of the week and about 6:33 AM by Sunday, while sunset shifts from 7:32 PM to 7:23 PM. Denver continues to lose a little over two minutes of daylight each day as we move toward the September equinox.
  • The Moon rises in the late morning at the start of the week and shifts into the afternoon hours by the weekend, while moonset moves from the evening into the late evening and overnight hours. On August 31, the Moon rises around 10:11 AM and sets around 9:03 PM; by September 6, it rises around 1:02 AM and sets around 4:53 PM.
  • Venus continues to shine brilliantly in the western sky after sunset, setting roughly four hours after the Sun early in September. It remains an easy target even in twilight and will stay in the evening sky through September.
  • Mercury is essentially lost in the Sun’s glare this week following its August 27 superior conjunction. It begins a new evening apparition in September, but it will not become a worthwhile evening target until later in the month.
  • Jupiter is a morning planet, rising before sunrise and gradually becoming easier to spot in the eastern sky as the month progresses. Mars remains a morning object as well, but its low altitude and brightening dawn sky make it a challenging target.
  • Saturn rises during the evening and remains visible for most of the night. It is becoming an excellent telescopic target as it approaches opposition in early October.
  • Uranus rises before midnight and is well placed for telescopic observation during the overnight and predawn hours.
  • Neptune rises during the evening and is visible most of the night. With opposition on September 26, it is an increasingly favorable telescopic target.

This Week’s Meteoric Activity:

You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.

  • Anthelion (ANT): 2:00 AM in Aquarius: About 2 per hour
  • Aurigids (AUR): 5:00 AM in Auriga: About 1–2 per hour. Peak: September 1 (about 6 per hour)
  • ν-Eridanids (NUE): 6:00 AM in Eridanus: Less than 1 per hour
  • η-Eridanids (ERI): 6:00 AM in Eridanus: Less than 1 per hour

Check Out These Helpful Guides from DAS:

Sky Map

Clear skies and happy stargazing!