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What are some skywatching highlights in September 2023? Venus returns to the early morning skies as a bright beacon in the East. The full moon at the end of the month is known as the Harvest Moon. And if you have access to dark skies away from urban light pollution, you might be able to glimpse the faint, glowing pillar of the zodiacal light. 0:00 Intro 0:13 Venus in the morning sky 0:36 Viewing Jupiter and Saturn 1:01 The Harvest Moon 1:37 The Zodiacal Light 2:50 OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return 3:21 September Moon phases

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is filling sample tubes with rocky material on the Red Planet as the agency works on the next steps to get them safely back to Earth. The Mars Sample Return campaign would bring samples collected by the perseverance rover to Earth for detailed study. The campaign involves an international interplanetary relay team, including the European Space Agency (ESA). These samples could answer a key question: did life ever exist on Mars? Aaron Yazzie, who works on the Mars Sample Return campaign, explains the work being done at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to ensure the safe return of the sample tubes. For more information on Mars Sample Return, visit mars.nasa.gov