I often feature the planets we can observe in our night skies in this column because they stand out so well and because one can get a thrill knowing that they are seeing another distant world in our Solar System. August’s warm nights this year offer plenty of good planet viewing. No fewer than 5 planets show up soon after sunset. And this month the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, always the best one of the calendar year, peaks in the pre-dawn hours of August 12th.
The planet show begins in early evening twilight. As August begins, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter form a straight line. Venus is closest to the horizon; Mercury is to Venus’ upper left, and Jupiter is at the top of the line. Venus is the brightest of the trio, at magnitude –3.9, and should be easy to spot 1/2 hour after sunset. Jupiter, though dimmer at –1.7, will have greater altitude, so it should be easy to see. But binoculars will likely be necessary to see Mercury, about 8 degrees to the upper left of Venus.
From August 4th through August 6th the crescent Moon will appear to pass through the sky where the trio of planets are found. On the 4th the Moon will be just left of Mercury, with both objects 6 degrees above the horizon 30 minutes after sunset. On August 5th the somewhat fatter Moon will be just below Jupiter, and on the 6th the Moon will be above and left of Jupiter. The Moon being close to the planets will help point them our to us.
During August the orbit of Venus will make it appear to climb steadily away from the Sun, while Jupiter will look as if it is sinking down toward the Sun. This will set up a very close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter on August 27th. Indeed the two planets will appear closer to each other than at any time since May of 2000! They will almost appear to merge! Telescope views will put Venus and Jupiter together in the same field of view. And binoculars will separate this stunning planetary pair and will also reveal Mercury 5 degrees to their lower left.
After this great conjunction, the orbits of Venus and Jupiter will cause them to appear to separate. On August 31st Venus will be 4 degrees to Jupiter’s upper left. Mercury’s orbit will have taken it down toward the Sun by then, where it will be lost in the Sun’s glare.
After the skies darken fully look south where two more planets, Mars and Saturn, will be found. Mars the brighter and appearing reddish at magnitude –0.8 is on the border of Libra and Scorpius, almost due south some 10 degrees above and right of Antares, the reddish and brightest star in Scorpius. Saturn glows yellowish at +0.3 magnitude and sits just above Antares. A gibbous Moon will be seen 8 degrees above Mars on August 8th.
Mars’s orbit takes it east (left as we face it) for 3 weeks in August and it enters Ophiuchus on the 21st, passing 2 degrees above Antares on the 23rd, and in line with the star and Saturn. On the 25th, Mars will be 4 degrees below Saturn.
Turning attention now to the Perseid Meteor Shower which peaks on the morning of August 12th over in the northeast sky. The Perseids always rank among the best meteor showers of the year, and 2016 could be exceptional. Some experts are saying the rate of meteors could reach 150 per hour —- some 50% higher than typical years. The reason is because Jupiter’s gravity recently tugged the stream of debris from the Perseids parent Comet, 109B Swift-Tuttle, closer to Earth’s orbit. It should be good anyway, so look northeast anytime form 1 am to dawn on the morning of August 12th.
Moon phases for August: New — Aug. 2nd; 1st Quart. — Aug. 10; Full — August 18; and Last Quart. — Aug. 24.
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