Every month, AY About You outlines the night sky in these easily digestible guides. And stargazing in August is another one for the books.
This month features local astrophotography from Arkansan Tony Milligan. You can find more of his spectacular photos on his website, Captured in Time.
Full Moon: Aug. 3*
Third Quarter: Aug. 11
New Moon: Aug. 18
First Quarter: Aug. 25
*The full Moon of August is also called the Sturgeon Moon, named after North America’s largest fish.
Perseid Meteor Shower
Peak Night(s): Aug. 11, 12
This month presents one of the best meteor showers of the year. The Perseids peak on Aug. 11 and 12, but the shower is considered active nearly the whole month, up until Aug. 24. And since the shower’s radiant point is a circumpolar constellation (Perseus), the meteors will be viewable all night — although it is much more spectacular before dawn. At peak, it is reasonable to expect more than 100 meteors per hour, but dark skies are required to see this many.
Planets and Special Events
Early August: Comet NEOWISE
The most brilliant comet to grace our skies in years is drifting away from us at more than 17,000 MPH. By the end of July, the distant relative of the outer solar system was already too dim for most to see with the naked eye. In the early part of August, the full Moon’s light will crowd out NEOWISE, but once it dims to Third Quarter, we may still be able to get some straggling glimpses of the comet with binoculars or a telescope. Say goodbye while you can, because NEOWISE will not be back for another 6,000 years.
Aug. 13: Venus at Greatest Western Elongation
Venus will be a brilliant early morning speckle in the sky, and will have risen to a near-peak height of 41 degrees in our night sky by this western elongation. Look to the east in the earliest hours of the morning.
Aug. 28: Ceres at Opposition
The dwarf planet Ceres will reach opposition and perigee (closest point to the earth) this month, making it a great opportunity to lay eyes on the largest object in the Asteroid Belt. Without the aid of a telescope, however, it will appear as little more than just another “star” in the sky. Look to the southeast after 11 p.m.
In the News
Humanity’s first interplanetary sample-return campaign is now underway.
Perseverance will hunt for signs of ancient Mars life after its February 2021 touchdown on the floor of Jezero Crater, which hosted a lake and a river delta billions of years ago. But the nuclear-powered robot will also collect and cache at least 20 samples of Red Planet rock and soil for future return to Earth, so scientists can scrutinize the stuff in far more detail than Perseverance could ever manage on its own.
No public events this month. Stay home and stay well.
If you’re still itching for more space to curb your boredom this month, give Celestia and Stellarium a try. Both are free to use and provide unique and interactive experiences with the stars, planets and more.
The best stargazing results are always going to be under the darkest of skies. So, if you can, find a place as far away from city lights as possible when stargazing in August.