Introduction
July turned out to be another great month for stargazing over Utah. It seemed that we only had a couple of cloudy nights that prohibited potential stargazers from viewing the wonders of the night sky. I was able to view Venus and Mars close in on Regulus and the thin crescent Moon join this trio. I was also able to view the dim, dusty trails of the Milky Way Band and the gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, rising above the eastern horizon. I was unable to pick out Uranus and Neptune since I was stargazing with my unaided eyes.
August will be a spectacular month for stargazers. The event most observers will be looking forward to is the return of the Perseid Meteor Shower. I am also looking forward to Saturn reaching opposition near the end of the month. August also brings a Blue Moon and Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation. Read on below for more information about these exciting events!
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| Mercury |
In keeping with tradition, I'll begin with Mercury, the innermost planet. This tiny planet will prove to be a challenge to spot this month, even though it will reach its greatest eastern elongation on the 9th. Mercury will be found above the western horizon after sunset, just below Mars for the first part of August. As the month continues, Mercury will sink ever closer to the horizon and will become lost from view by mid-month.
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| Venus |
Venus will quickly transition from the Evening Star to the Morning Star during August. An observer at a high altitude and a clear view of the western horizon will be able to see Venus during the first five days or so of August. By the middle of the month, observers should switch their view to the eastern horizon to see Venus rising above the Utah mountains as the Morning Star.
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| Mars |
Mars will also be a challenging planet to view during August. The Red Planet has sunk closer to the western horizon after sunset and has dimmed considerably. The best time to view Mars will come on August 18th when a thin crescent Moon can be found less than 2° above this planet.
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| Jupiter |
Jupiter will be an easier target to spot than Mercury and Mars this month. It will rise above the mountains shortly after 1:00 AM on the 1st and a full two hours earlier by the end of the month. Jupiter will offer great views through a pair of binoculars or a telescope. Both observing instruments can reveal the Galilean Moons and a telescope will reveal the cloud bands, the Great Red Spot. and even the shadow of the Galilean Moons as they transit the gas giant. Jupiter completes one full spin about its axis in under 10 hours, so be sure to view this planet multiple times during August or even on a single night! The Last Quarter Moon can be found less than 3° from Jupiter on the 8th. A short distance to the left of Jupiter, an observer can view M45, the Pleiades.
Saturn will rise above the mountains around 11:00 PM on the 1st and about two hours earlier on the 31st. A nearly Full Moon will join Saturn on the 2nd and again on the 30th of August. Saturn will be a great telescope target this month, especially later in the night after it has risen higher above the horizon. A small telescope can reveal the rings of Saturn and the large moon, Titan. Other moons of Saturn are also visible but will be easier to detect with a larger telescope. Saturn will reach opposition on the 27th, making it visible during the whole night.
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| Neptune |
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| Uranus |
The two ice giants can be viewed through a pair of binoculars but will look their best through a telescope. Uranus will clear the eastern mountains at 2:00 AM, about an hour after Jupiter, on the 1st. By the end of the month, Uranus can be seen rising above the horizon around midnight, nearly two hours earlier. To the upper right, an observer will notice the vividly bright Jupiter, and to the left of Uranus, the dim M45 star cluster can be found. The Moon can be found between Uranus and the Pleiades in the morning hours of August 9th.
Neptune will rise above the eastern horizon about an hour after Saturn, which is about an hour before Jupiter during August. The Moon can be found just 2° below Neptune on the 4th and again on the 31st. Use these two dates to help find Neptune, which will glow a blue-grey color through binoculars or a telescope.
Meteor Shower
Perseids! Perseids! Perseids! The Perseid Meteor Shower returns this month and it should be a great shower to end the summer with. Stargazers should expect to see up to 100 meteors per hour on the 13th, the date the Perseids will peak. The best time to view the Perseids will be about an hour before sunrise on the 13th when Perseus, the constellation where these meteors will appear to radiate, will be high in the eastern sky. Observers may notice Jupiter, the Pleiades, and Orion in the sky at this time as well. This year, the Moon will be a thin crescent and will not be bright enough to wash out the meteors of this shower. For best results, travel to a dark sky location and bring a chair that will allow you to lay back and look up at the sky!
Monthly Breakdown
August 01: Full Moon 🌕
August 03: Moon passes within 2° of Saturn
August 04: Moon passes within 2° of Neptune
August 08: Moon passes within 3° of Jupiter
August 08: Last Quarter Moon🌗
August 08: Moon passes within 3° of Uranus
August 09: Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation
August 13: Perseid Meteor Shower PeaksAugust 16: New Moon 🌑
August 18: Moon passes within 7° of Mercury
August 18: Moon passes within 2° of Mars
August 24: First Quarter Moon 🌓
August 27: Saturn reaches opposition
August 30: Moon passes within 2° of Saturn
August 30: Full Moon 🌕 Blue Moon
Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts. You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
Planet images were taken by NASA.
Andrew vs. the Cosmos was taken by Jeff Greenland.
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