Sky This Week for August 12 to August 14, 2016

Sky This Week for August 12 to August 14, 2016

Plenty of bright planets and stars, plus a few asteroid cameos, but this week, nothing will beat the Perseids.

By Richard Talcott

 

Friday, August 12

Assuming you watch the Perseid show this morning, don’t pack up when twilight starts to paint the sky. About 45 minutes before the Sun comes up, look for a bright object hovering just above the horizon in the east-southeast. This is the night sky’s brightest star, magnitude –1.5 Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. From mid-northern latitudes, the luminary climbs some 4° high a half-hour before sunrise and should stand out if you have a clear and unobstructed horizon. The return of Sirius to the predawn sky was an occasion for celebration in ancient Egypt. Around 3000 b.c., this so-called heliacal rising of Sirius heralded the coming flood of the Nile River, an event upon which agriculture — and all life in Egypt — depended.

Saturday, August 13

Look overhead around 10 p.m. local daylight time any day this week and your eyes will fall on the brilliant star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. At magnitude 0.0, Vega is the brightest member of the prominent Summer Triangle asterism. The Triangle’s second-brightest star, magnitude 0.8 Altair in Aquila the Eagle, lies some 35° southeast of Vega. The asterism’s dimmest member, magnitude 1.3 Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, stands about 25° east-northeast of Vega. Although the brightening Moon diminishes the luster of stars this week, the Summer Triangle remains conspicuous.

Sunday, August 14

The two inner planets lurk low in the western sky shortly after sunset this week. If you scan the horizon through binoculars 30 minutes after sundown, you should pick up Venus standing just 4° high. It shows up only because in shines so brightly, at magnitude –3.8. Mercury appears at nearly the same altitude but will be much harder to see because it glows more dimly, at magnitude 0.2. This morning, the innermost planet lies 9° to Venus’ left and 6° to Jupiter’s lower right.

Source

The Astronomy Magazine