Monthly Night Sky Report: August 2022

     Introduction

    Aside from a few evening thunderstorms, July was a great month for stargazing over Utah. The warm temperatures and clear nights offered ample opportunities for viewing the planets and Messier objects discussed so far, among many other night sky wonders. 

    Weather permitting, August will also be a great month for stargazing. The Messier objects belonging to Draco, Hercules, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Scutum, and Serpens will still be in a great position in the sky for viewing. This month will bring the return of the Perseid Meteor Shower which should offer stargazers the chance to view some bright meteors. Saturn will reach opposition this month, which creates a great time to view the ringed world. The two posts this month will focus on the many Messier objects belonging to Sagittarius. Let's dive in!  

             

Mercury

       As usual, I'll start the month off with the innermost planet, Mercury. This tiny planet will be found in the western sky after sunset during August. Mercury will be a challenging object since it doesn't quite make it out of the Sun's evening glow. Mercury does reach its greatest eastern elongation on the 27th and will be joined by a thin crescent Moon on the 28th and 29th which could aid in finding it in the evening twilight.   

  

Venus

    Venus will continue to be found in the eastern sky before sunrise and shouldn't be hard to miss due to its brightness. For the first week or so, Venus will be found in Gemini and close to the stars Castor and Pollux. The three celestial bodies will create a line in the sky between the 9th and 11th of this month, with Venus being the closest to the horizon. Around these dates, Venus will pass into Cancer the Crab and can be found close to the Beehive Cluster (M44) on the 17th. A thin crescent Moon will join Venus in the sky on the 25th. Venus will pass into Leo the Lion by the end of August. 

    

Mars

    Mars will start the month off rising above the mountains around 1:30 in the morning. By the end of the month, the Red Planet will rise about 2 hours earlier. Between the 16th and 19th, Mars and the Pleiades can be found within 6° of each other, creating a nice contrast between the orangish-red of Mars and the blue-white of the Pleiades. For observers staying out late, be sure to target Mars with your telescope as it rises higher in the sky. The Red Planet is a few months away from its opposition but some surface detail may be seen under favorable conditions.    

Jupiter

Saturn

    Jupiter will reach opposition next month, but August will still be a great time to view this planet. Jupiter will rise above the eastern horizon shortly after midnight at the beginning of the month and a full two hours earlier before September. The nearly Full Moon will be less than 2° from Jupiter on the 15th. Jupiter is an awesome target through both binoculars and a telescope. A telescope will allow an observer to see the cloud bands, Great Red Spot, the Galilean Moons, and shadows on the cloud tops as the Galilean Moons transit their parent planet. 

    Saturn may steal the show this month for stargazers. The ringed world will reach opposition on the 14th, making it a great target shortly after sunset. Of course, the best views are when this planet can be found high in the sky so there is less atmospheric interference. The Moon will join Saturn in the sky on the 12th. Views through a telescope will reveal the majestic rings and also the second largest moon in the solar system, Titan. A modest-sized telescope will allow observers to view the divisions in the rings, the most famous of which is the Cassini Division.    

   

       

Neptune

Uranus

    

    The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars.  Uranus can be found rising in the early morning sky with Mars at the beginning of the month. A few short days later, Mars will leave Uranus' side leaving the second most distant planet by itself. The Moon will join Uranus in the sky on the 18th.

   

    Neptune will be found between Saturn and Jupiter during August. The most distant planet will reach opposition in September. The Moon will join Neptune in the sky on the 14th. 

Meteor Shower 

   The Perseid Meteor Shower has finally arrived! Unfortunately, only the brightest meteors will be spotted this year as the nearly Full Moon will dominate the sky on the 12th, the peak date for the Perseids. The best time to view the Perseids this year is a few days before the Full Moon. As the Moon sets in the west, turn your attention to the eastern sky when Perseus will be high in the sky. On the 10th, the Moon will sink below the horizon around 4:30 in the morning and an hour earlier with each day prior to the 10th. Occasionally, a Perseid meteor can be bright enough to see even during a Full Moon, but you need to be looking in the right area of the sky at the right time to catch it. To increase your chances of viewing the Perseids, remember to travel to a dark sky area, away from as much light pollution as possible. 

Spot Me....🕵️  

    This month will focus on the many Messier objects that can be found in Sagittarius. These objects include globular clusters, open clusters, and nebulae. Similar to July's Midmonth Check-In, I will describe how to locate the objects and provide a couple of images for clarification. I will also include a couple of images at the end of the post that shows the locations of all the objects discussed for those that want an all-inclusive image.  

    The following image from Stellarium shows what the night sky will look like during August when facing south-southwest after sunset. Notice Saturn on the far left of this image. 

Looking south-southwest after sunset during August. 

    The image below shows the same sky but with constellation lines and labels to help identify the constellations in this region of the sky.  

Constellation labels and lines for clarification.

    As mentioned earlier, our target constellation this month is Sagittarius (a centaur) which is located just above the horizon. The first target this month will be M8 (aka Lagoon Nebula, NGC 6523) which, as its name suggests, is a nebula. This nebula is over 4,000 light-years from Earth, but under ideal conditions, can be seen with unaided eyes, but of course, a large telescope will give you much more detail. The Lagoon Nebula is located on the right side of Sagittarius, towards the Milky Way band. To find M8, I locate the two stars inside the Milky Way Band and connect them with an imaginary line. There is a star that lies about halfway between these stars that are roughly the same brightness. M8 can be located in this region of the sky. I start with a low-power eyepiece and gradually increase the magnification to my liking. See the image below for clarification in finding M8 if needed.

 

Location of M8 in Sagittarius.

    The second target this month is M20 (aka Trifid Nebula, NGC 6514) which is actually an open star cluster, like the Pleiades, not a nebula.  If the eyepiece you are using produces a large enough field of view, you should be able to spot it in the same field of view as M8. If not, slowly guide your telescope upwards and toward the center of the Milky Way Band. See the image below for the location of M20 if needed.

Location of M20 in Sagittarius.

    The third target this month is M21 (aka Webb's Cross, NGC 6531) and is another open cluster. This object, as well as M8 and M20, make up the Trifid Trio. All three of these objects should fit inside one field of view if a low-power eyepiece is used with a telescope. If the eyepiece and telescope combination doesn't allow this, simply guide the telescope upwards a very small amount and M21 should pop into view. See the image below for the location of M21.

Location of M21 in Sagittarius. 

    Next up on the Messier Tour in this post is M23 (aka NGC 6494) which is another open star cluster. After getting my fill of the Trifid Trio, I guide my scope toward the zenith and to the right of the center of the Milky Way Band. This object lies on the imaginary border between the stars of Sagittarius and those belonging to Ophiuchus. See the image below for the location of M23.

Location of M23 in Sagittarius.

   The fifth target is M18 (aka Black Swan Cluster, NGC 6613) which is also an open star cluster. I find this cluster by guiding my scope back across the center lane of the Milky Way Band towards Sagittarius, but also upwards, toward Scutum. There are a few different DSOs in this area of the sky. The Black Swan Cluster will have a darker background than any of the other objects in this region. This is due to either a less dusty region of the Milky Way or an area where the dust is not as brightly lit up by surrounding stars. The location of M18 can be seen in the image below.

Location of M18 in Sagittarius.

    

    The sixth target is M17 (aka Omega Nebula, Swan Nebula, Horseshoe Nebula, Lobster Nebula, NGC 6618) which is another open star cluster like the Pleiades. The other names given to M17 can be misleading! This open cluster is located towards Scutum (up towards the zenith from Sagittarius), a constellation that was highlighted in July. When I search for the Omega Nebula, I guide my telescope, with a low-power eyepiece installed, slightly up from M18. The Omega Nebula will have a cloudy-looking background as compared to the Black Swan Cluster. See the image below for the location of M17.

Location of M17 in Sagittarius.

    The final Messier object in this post is M22 (aka Great Sagittarius Cluster, Crackjack Cluster, NGC 6656) which is a globular star cluster. The Great Sagittarius Cluster is located about 228 light years from Earth. To find this object, I first locate the Trifid Trio. From here, I guide my scope to the left edge of the Milky Way Band. If I find the stars in my field of view becoming scarce, I know I have gone too far to the left, so I will slowly move my scope back towards the Trifid Trio. I can usually find the Great Sagittarius Cluster on my first try using this method, but will occasionally have to try again. Using a low-power eyepiece greatly helps. See the image below for the location of M22.

Location of M22 in Sagittarius.

    The following two images show the locations of the Messier Objects discussed throughout this post. 

Discussed Messier Objects in Sagittarius.

 

Discussed Messier Objects with constellation lines and labels.

    We covered quite a few Messier Catalog Objects in this post so take your time to view these objects in the coming weeks. In the next post, I will conclude the Messier Objects belonging to Sagittarius. Here is an updated file of the Messier Catalog.

Monthly Breakdown

August 01:  Mars and Uranus within 2° 
August 05:  First Quarter Moon 🌓 

August 11:  Full Moon 🌕 

August 11:  Moon passes within 4° of Saturn

August 12:  Perseid Meteor Shower peaks 

August 14:  Moon passes within 3° of Neptune

August 14:  Saturn reaches opposition

August 15:  Moon passes within 2° of Jupiter

August 18:  Moon passes within 1° of Uranus 

August 19:  Last Quarter Moon🌗

August 19:  Moon passes within 3° of Mars          

August 25:  Moon passes within 4° of Venus

August 27:  New Moon 🌑

August 27:  Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation

August 29:  Moon passes within 7° of Mercury 

 

       

    Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts.  You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.  

    

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images were taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos was taken by Jeff Greenland.

    

Midmonth Check-In: July 2022 and Ophiuchus

 

Introduction and Monthly Reminders   

    

    July has been filled with plenty of hot days. Unfortunately, the heat brings dry conditions and increases fire danger. As such, many days have had smoke-filled skies due to irresponsible people neglecting the fact that Utah is in a serious drought. Hopefully, the remaining weeks of summer and into early fall will bring less smokey skies. On a more positive note, the first images from the JWST were revealed on July 12. If you have not had a chance to view them, be sure to check them out! The JWST will bring many more great images and discoveries over the next several years.

    Over the remaining days of July, observers should be on the lookout for the Southern Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower on the 30th. There are also many close approaches between the Moon and the morning planets which can still be enjoyed. Observers can still view the Messier objects in Hercules, Draco, Lyra, Serpens, Scorpius, and Scutum, as well as several others that have not yet been discussed.        

Messier Targets 🔭

    

    The Messier Catalog contains 110 objects to view throughout the year. Most of these objects require a telescope or a pair of binoculars. As with all DSOs, observing from a location with minimal light pollution will enhance your views. If using a telescope, I recommend using a low-power eyepiece to help find the object, then increase the power to bring out more detail. So far, I have highlighted the Messier objects belonging to Hercules, Draco, Lyra, Serpens, Scorpius, and Scutum. For this post, I will highlight the seven Messier objects which belong to Ophiuchus. I will continue to highlight each object and the directions that I use in locating these objects, but I will also include a single image at the end of this post showing the location of each object in Ophiuchus.    

    The seven objects located in Ophiuchus are globular star clusters, like the famous Hercules Cluster (M13) that was highlighted in the June Monthly Night Sky Report. Ophiuchus translated from Latin means "serpent bearer" and is often associated with medicine and medical images. To get started, face towards the south as the sun sets during the summer months. A majority of our targets from the Messier Catalog have been in this region of the sky so far. Locate the bright star Antares, which belongs to Scorpius. Ophiuchus will be the next constellation upwards, closer to the zenith than Scorpius. If you can recall the location of the constellations Scutum and Serpens, Ophiuchus is the constellation sandwiched between them. Below is a sample image from Stellarium of what the night sky will look like on the evening of the 15th.

Looking south after sunset during the summer months.

    

Constellation labels and lines.

    By using the above image, the top star represents the head while the enclosed area represents the body of Ophiuchus. The line that breaks off the main body is the leg of Ophiuchus and will be our beginning region of this constellation for locating Messier objects. The first target will be M9 (aka NGC 6333). This star cluster may be more challenging than some of the others this month since it shines dimly at magnitude 7.7. To find M9, I locate the three stars making up the lower body of Ophiuchus and use the two stars on the right side of his body to draw a line towards the left leg. Along this line, M9 can be located. As usual, I start with a low-power eyepiece until I locate the object, and then bump up the magnification as high as the conditions allow. See the image below for the location of M9.

Location of M9 in Ophiuchus.

    The next target is M19 (aka NGC 6273). This star cluster shines brighter than M9 at magnitude 6.8. To find M19, I nudge my telescope downwards, closer to the horizon from M9. I keep adjusting it downward until I'm in the region of the sky that is to the left of Antares. Alternatively, I could find M19 by centering Antares in my eyepiece and then nudging my telescope directly towards the Milky Way Band. During this time of year, this area is directly to the left of Antares. Below is an image of the location of M19.

Location of M19 in Ophiuchus.

   While in this region of the sky, I typically search for M62 (aka Flickering Globular Cluster, NGC 6266) next. This globular cluster is the brightest of the clusters in Ophiuchus, shining at magnitude 6.5. I locate M62 by nudging my telescope toward the horizon even farther until it is centered in my low-power eyepiece. See the image below for the location of M62.

Location of M62 in Ophiuchus.

   Moving into the body of Ophiuchus, I first target M10 (aka NGC 6254), a globular cluster that shines at magnitude 6.6. To find this object, I locate the star representing the head of Ophiuchus and the star representing the belly button region. I then center the belly button star in my low-power eyepiece. Connecting these two stars with an imaginary line, I guide my telescope towards the head star. Before making it halfway up the body, I notice M10 in my field of view. See the image below for the location of M10.

Location of M10 in Ophiuchus.

    After I have viewed M10 to my heart's content, I guide my scope to the right, following the slant of Ophiuchus. Before reaching the boundary of the body of this constellation, I notice M12 (aka Gumball Globular Cluster, NGC 6218). M12 shines at nearly the same magnitude as M10. See the image below for the location of M12. 

Location of M12 in Ophiuchus.

    The next target can be found by once again using the head and belly button stars of Ophiuchus. Instead of following the line from the belly button star to the head star, follow the line down from the belly button star, towards Scorpius. M107 (aka The Crucifix Cluster, NGC 6171) can be found just below the stars that make up the main body of Ophiuchus. If I have a hard time locating M107 using this method, I will use the belly button star and the bright star that represents the left leg of Ophiuchus. M107 forms a right triangle with these two stars. See the image below for the location of M107.

Location of M107 in Ophiuchus.

    The final Messier object in Ophiuchus is a little more challenging to find for me than the others. The easiest way for me is to center the star that represents the top left shoulder of Ophiuchus in my low-power eyepiece and slowly nudge my telescope down towards the horizon. If I make it to the Milky Way Band, then I know I've gone too far so I try again. Eventually, I will locate M14 (aka NGC 6402) in my field of view. See the image below for the location of M14.

Location of M14 in Ophiuchus.

    As mentioned, here is an image that shows the locations of the seven Messier objects belonging to Ophiuchus. Additionally, I have provided an image that shows the constellation lines and labels to help identify Ophiuchus. 

Location of Messier Objects in Ophiuchus.

 

Location of Messier Objects in Ophiuchus with constellation lines and labels.

    All of these images were provided by Stellarium. My updated Messier list can be found here. Next month, we will focus on Sagittarius and the 15 Messier objects that can be found in this constellation. August will also bring the return of the Perseids and the opposition of Saturn.   

     

Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts.  You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.  

    

Now get outside and look up!