Planetary Dance, Meteor Showers And More Celestial Events Await Stargazers In August
About a week after August’s new moon, the Perseid meteor shower will be at its peak. For those with clear skies, the best time to watch for a shooting star to make a wish on will be just after the Moon sets around 11:30pm local time, until just before dawn. The Perseids shower will appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, with up to 100 meteors per hours expected at its peak, beginning around August 11-13, 2024.
On August 14, Jupiter and Mars will pair up in the night sky in what is referred to as a conjunction. The two planets will appear to be only a third of a degree apart, which, according to NASA, is less than the width of the full Moon. The duo will be viewable in the eastern sky in the hours just before sunrise.
About a week later on the 20th, the Moon will appear to chase Saturn across the night sky, as the pair will rise in the east shortly after dark, and then follow one another toward the west until dawn. On the 27th, the crescent moon will join Mars and Jupiter, forming a celestial trio in the summer night sky. Skywatchers should look for the trio in the east in the hour or so before sunrise.
Perhaps the star of August’s night sky extravaganza will be the Lagoon Nebula, which will make an appearance each night of the month in the first few hours after dark. According to NASA, the nebula is in the constellation Sagittarius near the star pattern known as “The Teapot.” The Lagoon Nebula is a cauldron of star formation about 4,000 miles from Earth, and is around the same size and brightness as the Orion Nebula.
The Lagoon Nebula will appear high overhead in August for those in the Southern Hemisphere, and lower for those in the higher northern latitudes. To find it, follow a line toward the west, twice the distance from the top of the Teapot’s handle to the top of its lid. It should be visible for the lower 49 United States. Skywatchers will want to use a pair of binoculars or a telescope to view the nebula.
August will provide skywatchers plenty of opportunities for taking in the wonders of the cosmos, Which celestial spectacle do you plan on taking in this month?
