Wednesday, August 8

The middle of this week finds observers caught between the peaks of two nice meteor showers. The Southern Delta Aquariid shower reached maximum July 30 and has started to diminish, while the Perseid shower is ramping up in preparation for its peak the night of August 12/13. The waning crescent Moon sheds little light in the predawn sky, and conditions improve as the week progresses and Luna’s phase wanes. You can tell meteors from the two showers apart by tracing their paths backward. Southern Delta Aquariid meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius the Water-bearer, while Perseid meteors emanate from Perseus the Hero.

Mercury reaches inferior conjunction, passing between the Sun and Earth, at 10 p.m. EDT. The innermost planet will return to view before dawn in about two weeks.

Thursday, August 9

Mars remains near its glorious peak all this week. The Red Planet reached opposition the night of July 26/27 and made its closest approach to Earth (at a distance of 35.8 million miles [57.6 million kilometers]) on the 31st. Mars appears low in the southeast as darkness falls and grows more prominent as the evening wears on and it climbs higher. By midnight local daylight time, it stands about 25° high in the south against the backdrop of stars in southwestern Capricornus. The world shines at magnitude –2.6, making it the second-brightest point of light in the night sky after Venus. When viewed through a telescope, the planet’s ocher-colored disk spans 23.9″. The global dust storm appears to be waning, and patient observers should be able to spot some subtle surface details.

Friday, August 10

Venus dominates the western sky after sunset. The dazzling object shines at magnitude –4.4 among the background stars of western Virgo. The planet appears 11° high 45 minutes after sundown and sets just before 10 p.m. local daylight time. When viewed through a telescope, Venus appears 23″ across and a hair over half-lit.

The Moon reaches perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth, at 2:07 p.m. EDT. It then lies 222,500 miles (358,078 kilometers) away from us.

Saturday, August 11

New Moon occurs at 5:58 a.m. EDT. At its New phase, the Moon crosses the sky with the Sun and so remains hidden in our star’s glare. At least, that’s what it will do for much of the world’s population. But if you happen to live in northern Canada, northern Europe, or parts of Asia, you can watch the Moon pass in front of the Sun and cause a partial solar eclipse. From Beijing, the Moon covers one-third of our star’s diameter just before sunset. Remember that when viewing the Sun during a partial eclipse, you need to protect your eyes with a safe solar filter.

Sunday, August 12

The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak tonight under perfect conditions. The shower not only produces lots of “shooting stars” — up to 110 per hour under optimal circumstances — but it does so with the Moon out of the sky. The best views will come in the predawn hours of Monday morning when the shower’s radiant — the spot on the border between Perseus and Cassiopeia where the meteors appear to emanate — climbs highest. To see the most meteors, observe from a spot far removed from the lights of the city.

Source
Astronomy Magazine