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Something STRANGE Is Happening on the Moon Tonight (September 5, 2025)
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By European Space Agency
Week in images: 01-05 September 2025
Discover our week through the lens
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By NASA
Patricia White is a contracting officer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, where she contributes to NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA/Danny Nowlin When NASA’s Artemis II mission launches in 2026, it will inspire the world through discovery in a new Golden Age of innovation and exploration.
It will be another inspiring NASA moment Patricia White can add to her growing list.
White supports the Artemis program to send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars as a contracting officer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
White takes special pride in the test operations contract she helped draft. The contract provides support to the Fred Haise Test Stand, which tests the RS-25 engines that will help power NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Artemis missions.
“I was awestruck the first time I witnessed an engine test,” White said. “I remember how small I felt in comparison to this big and fascinating world, and I wondered what that engine would see that I would never be able to see.”
Four RS-25 engines tested at NASA Stennis will help launch Artemis II with four astronauts to venture around the Moon. As the first crewed Artemis mission, it will represent another milestone for the nation’s human space exploration effort.
From Interstate Signs to NASA Career
White describes NASA Stennis as a hidden gem. Growing up in nearby Slidell, Louisiana, she had driven by the interstate signs pointing toward NASA Stennis her entire life.
When she heard about a job opportunity at the center, she immediately applied. Initially hired as a contractor with only a high school diploma in February 2008, White found her motivation among NASA’s ranks.
“I work with very inspiring people, and it only took one person to say, ‘You should go to college’ to give me the courage to go so late in life,” she said.
Hard But Worth It
White began college classes in her 40s and finished at 50. She balanced a marriage, full-time job, academic studies, and household responsibilities. When she started her educational journey, her children were either toddlers or newborns. They were growing up as she stayed in school for nine years while meeting life’s challenges.
“It was hard, but it was so worth it,” she said. “I love my job and what I do, and even though it is crazy busy, I look forward to working at NASA every single day.”
She joined NASA officially in 2013, going from contractor to civil servant.
Setting an Example
White’s proudest work moment came when she brought home the NASA Early Career Achievement award and medal. It served as a tangible symbol of her success she could share with her family.
“It was a long road from being hired as an intern, and we all made extraordinary sacrifices,” she said. “I wanted to share it with them and set a good example for my children.”
As Artemis II prepares to carry humans back to lunar orbit for the first time in over 50 years, White takes pride knowing her work helps power humanity’s return to deep space exploration. Her work is proof that sometimes the most important journeys begin right in one’s own backyard.
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By NASA
Skywatching Skywatching Home What’s Up Meteor Showers Eclipses Daily Moon Guide More Tips & Guides Skywatching FAQ Night Sky Network Saturn’s spectacle, a Conjunction, and the Autumnal Equinox
Saturn shines throughout the month, a conjunction sparkles in the sky, and we welcome the autumnal equinox.
Skywatching Highlights
All of September: Saturn is visible Sept. 19: A conjunction between the Moon, Venus, and Regulus Sept. 21: Saturn is at opposition Sept. 22: The autumnal equinox Transcript
What’s Up for September? Saturn puts on a spectacular show, a sunrise conjunction shines bright, and we ring in the autumnal equinox.
Saturn at Opposition
Saturn will be putting on an out-of-this-world performance this month.
While Venus and Jupiter shine in the eastern morning sky, the ringed planet will be incredibly bright in the sky throughout September in the eastern evening sky and western early morning sky.
But why is Saturn the star of the show? Well, on September 21, Saturn will be at opposition, meaning Earth will find itself in between Saturn and the Sun, temporarily lined up.
This also means that Saturn is at its closest and brightest all year!
Saturn will be visible with just your eyes in the night sky, but with a small telescope, you might be able to see its rings!
Sky chart showing Saturn in the western sky before sunrise in late September. NASA/JPL-Caltech Conjunction Trio
If you look to the east just before sunrise on September 19, you’ll see a trio of celestial objects in a magnificent conjunction.
In the early pre-dawn hours, look east toward the waning, crescent Moon setting in the sky and you’ll notice something peculiar.
The Moon will be nestled up right next to both Venus and Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
The three are part of a conjunction, which simply means that they look close together in the sky (even if they’re actually far apart in space).
To find this conjunction, just look to the Moon.
And if you want some additional astronomical context, or want to specifically locate Regulus, this star lies within the constellation Leo, the lion.
Sky chart showing a conjunction between the Moon, Venus, and Regulus in the eastern sky before sunrise on September 19, 2025 NASA/JPL-Caltech The Autumnal Equinox
On September 22, we mark the autumnal equinox or the official start of fall in the northern hemisphere.
Astronomically, this is the time when the Sun finds itself exactly above the equator.
On this day, our planet isn’t tilted toward or away from the Sun, and both day and night are almost exactly 12 hours (with a few small exceptions).
An illustrated panel from an animation showing Earth’s positioning during the autumnal equinox. NASA/JPL-Caltech Moon Phases + Conclusion
Here are the phases of the Moon for September.
You can stay up to date on all of NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov.
I’m Chelsea Gohd from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month.
The phases of the Moon for September 2025. NASA/JPL-Caltech Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
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By European Space Agency
Week in images: 25-29 August 2025
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