The new moon arrives in the early hours of September 11. During this time the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge will have “Lights Out!” — running September 6 through 12. With little to no moonlight washing out the sky, this is one of the best weeks of the month to visit after dark. Pair your visit with the Northern Lights Photography Workshop on September 11 from 7:30 to 9:30 PM to learn how to capture the Milky Way, and possibly the aurora, on camera.
Solar activity has been elevated this season. A geomagnetic storm watch on August 27–29 sent the northern lights as far south as Wisconsin and New York, with some of the clearest displays reported across the Upper Peninsula. Check the NOAA aurora forecast the night of your visit, then head out to Brockway Mountain, the shoreline of Lake Superior, or the Lodge grounds for a dark to view to the north.
- New moon: night of September 10–11 — the darkest sky of the month; best window for Milky Way and deep-sky viewing runs roughly September 7–14
- International Observe the Moon Night: Saturday, September 19 (NASA’s global observing event) — falls right alongside the first-quarter moon (Sept 19–20), which is a good phase for viewing lunar craters and mountains through a telescope before it sets.
- Full moon (Corn Moon): September 26 — the weakest week of the month for deep-sky viewing, but a good week for moonlit-landscape photography instead.