August’s Astronomy Events
The August sky is not as active as other months, however we still have a few interesting things to observe such as the daytime Aretids meteor shower, which peaks on June 7th and can be seen best in the dark hour before dawn. We can also observe the Bootids meteor shower, which peaks on June 27th. This month features the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day of the year, which takes place on June 20th.
All images are from SkySafari 6 and can be clicked on for a full screen version.
03 – Mars and Jupiter figure more dramatically later in the month but, this morning, we can enjoy the triangle they create with the bright star Aldebaran in Taurus.
05 – The moon is just 36 hours old when we see it near bright Venus soon after sunset. This could be a great opportunity to spy the thinnest moon you’ve ever seen.
12 – The Perseids hit their peak tonight. Discover more about them here.
14&15 – For two nights, Mars and Jupiter can be viewed inside the same 1° field of view eyepiece. It’s a great opportunity to compare these two very different planets. Look for them in the hour before sunrise for the best view.
20 – Saturn and the moon rise together this evening. The image shows the view at 10pm, but the sooner you can see them, the closer together they will be.
27 – In a piece of book-ending poetry, we finish the month’s events with Mars and Jupiter. This time, they’re forming a pleasing triangle with the moon. Look for them before dawn breaks.
