Find Out What’s Happening in Space This Month
There’s nothing better to cool off on a hot summer than admiring the night sky, and this year August is working overtime to get in on the fun. Look up after dark this month and you can see the Perseid meteor shower, Saturn, super moon/blue moon and other celestial delights.
Where and when to see the Perseid meteor shower
If you’re looking to make a wish on a shooting star, you’ll have plenty of chances this month. The Perseid meteor shower, which began in mid-July, peaks on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13, as the Earth passes through the thickest part of the debris plume left by Comet 109/P Swift-Tuttle .
The 12th-13th is the absolute peak of the Perseids, but on any night in August you can see more shooting stars than usual. For a better view, look for Perseus in the northeast sky. Many of the Perseid meteors will come from there, although there should be shooting stars in other parts of the sky as well.
The Perseids should be especially good this year. Only the moon’s waning crescent the size of a silver ribbon reflects light, so meteorite observers in dark places can see up to 40 shooting stars per hour, especially as dawn approaches. Even suburban stargazers in relatively well-lit areas should be seeing around 10 meteors per hour, which is pretty amazing. For best results, move to as dark a place as possible with as wide and open a view of the sky as possible. (I’ll be in the middle of the ocean on the deck of my solid gold yacht.)
Where and when you can see the supermoon / blue moon in August
The second full moon in August is a blue moon and a super moon. On Wednesday, August 30 at 9:36 pm, the glitch moon (as I call it) will be at its absolute peak.
This is the second full moon of the month – the first was August 1st – and this makes it a “blue moon”. It will not appear blue, but will be exceptionally bright and large, hence the name “supermoon”. The full moon in August is the largest and brightest of the year, and we won’t see a brighter full moon until November 5, 2025. So don’t miss out.
To find a full moon in the night sky, look up at the sky and look for a moon-shaped object reflecting a ton of light – no star finder app required.
Starter Stargazer Kit
You don’t need more than your eyes to see the stars, but if you want to be a little bigger, consider these stargazers.
- Extra large picnic blankets
- THERMOS King Beverage Bottle Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel
- SatisInside Picnic basket for two
- Coleman Portable Camping Chair with 4 Can Cooler
- Night sky app
- Celestron – SkyMaster 25X70 binoculars
- ToyerBee telescope for adults and children
Where and when to see Saturn in August 2023
Perseid meteors and a supermoon may be stars in the August night sky, but Saturn is a reliable support player. While the planetary pillars Mars and Mercury spend most of the month at twilight, Saturn will be visible all month long.
On August 27, the ringed planet is in opposition, which means it will party like a coke-addicted club kid, go out at sunset and sink at sunrise.
Look for Saturn low in the east/southeast after dark. Saturn will be at its brightest from mid-August to mid-September, so you should be able to see it with the naked eye, but if you really want to see those sexy, sexy rings, you’ll need binoculars , or better yet binoculars. telescope .