The best astronomical events for this August
Quelle: VIDEOELEPHANT (Glomex)
August is an excellent month for stargazing in the northern hemisphere, with warm nights, a meteor shower, a rare planetary alignment, and other celestial highlights to observe. The Sturgeon Full Moon rises on August 9 and shines brightly all night. It is named after the sturgeons traditionally caught in the Great Lakes around this time of year. On August 10, the asteroid 2 Pallas reaches its peak brightness. Although not visible to the naked eye, it can be observed with a telescope in the constellation Delphinus. Around August 10, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune appear together in the sky. Uranus and Neptune are only visible with a telescope. The Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 12 and 13. Up to 100 meteors per hour are possible, but strong moonlight could significantly reduce visibility this year. Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation on August 19, offering good visibility in the morning. Venus and Jupiter will also be visible in the morning sky. On August 21, the crescent moon joins Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter before sunrise. The stars Castor, Pollux, and Procyon will also appear near the eastern horizon. The New Moon on August 23 brings a dark sky perfect for observing galaxies, the Milky Way, and perhaps even the Andromeda Galaxy without moonlight interference. On August 26, shortly after sunset, look deep in the west to see the crescent moon right next to Mars, only 2.5 degrees away.