August Skygazing 🗓️✨

Greetings friends, and welcome to your August Skygazing Report!

My hope, always, is that that this report will inspire you to create your own cosmic calendar, but if that’s not your thing, go ahead & download the graphic I’ve made for you us below.

Coordinate your evening walks, your day trips, etc., and never miss the stellar moments that matter most to you!

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• 8/1: First Quarter Moon (rises at solar noon, sets at solar midnight)

• 8/9: Full Moon (rises at sunset, sets at sunrise)

• 8/16: Last Quarter Moon (rises at solar midnight, sets at solar noon)

• 8/23: New Moon (cannot be seen, rises & sets with the sun)

• 8/31: First Quarter Moon (rises at solar noon, sets at solar midnight)

As August begins, Mars & Saturn are visible after sunset as Evening Stars - while Venus, Mercury, & Jupiter can be found in the early pre-dawn hours, as Morning Stars. Let’s look at how the planets dance across the sky through the month.

• 8/8 Saturn & Mars In Opposition - PM
  Between 9:15 & 10:15 PM, watch Mars set in the West while Saturn simultaneously rises in the East! Visibility matters here, so for those that are unable to view an unobstructed horizon, you might be catching those last glimpses of Mars earlier & meeting Saturn later by about an hour or so.

• 8/12 Venus Meets Jupiter - AM
  I suggest getting to know the pre-dawn skies as soon as you can to really observe how Venus approaches and appears to pass Jupiter in the constellation of The Twins. On the 12th, the two will occupy the same ecliptic degree -known as a conjunction- after which Venus will continue eastward towards Mercury.

• 8/12 Moon Meets Saturn - AM
  The 12th is an eventful morning, so let’s hope for clear skies! After taking in the magnificent view of our friends in the East, turn to look Southwest, and you’ll see the waning gibbous Moon near Saturn. Moon is still very bright, but you should be able to spot the outer planet just to the left of the less-than-full Moon.

• 8/19 Moon Meets Jupiter & Venus
  We’re looking East again before sunrise on the 19th & the 20th to see the waning crescent Moon join Jupiter & Venus. These are great skies to behold, as Orion & Taurus are both visible as well in the morning skies. If you plan to observe the rising of these planets you’ll have to be looking out around 2:30 AM, but the whole scene will be visible until the Sun begins to rise.

• 8/21 Moon appears to meet Mercury
  Look East around 5 AM to see the thin waning crescent Moon near Mercury, but take note - the lengthy morning twilight tends to make it a bit more difficult to see dawn sights around this time of year.

• 8/26 Moon Meets Mars
  On the days following the New Moon on the 23rd, we look West to see the waxing crescent Moon begin another journey eastward around the Earth. On the 26th, after the Sun sets, Mars will appear to the right of the silver sliver just above the horizon. Bright star Spica is also nearby, as the Priestess constellation will be setting.

Last, but certainly not least, the Perseid Meteor Shower peaks on the 13th!

Learn About The Meteor Shower Here

The bottom line with this shower is: yes, the Moon will be bright, but with almost 100 shooting stars per hour, it is absolutely still worth getting outside!!

The Radiant Point -the source of the shower- is the constellation Perseus, one of our circumpolar star groups that spins around Polaris, the North Star. The higher the Radiant Point is in the sky, the better your chances of catching a meteor!

An important consideration when planning your skygazing is where will you go?!

Ideally, you should scout out a location that allows you to see an unobstructed view of the horizon when facing due South. Look to your left, and you’ll be facing East. Look to your right, and you’re looking West.

Consider finding beachfront areas, land near large lakes, or parks with open fields. But stay safe! If you travel to unfamiliar places, always check out the area before skygazing after dark.

Also, check with your state’s parks department for information on registering for a skygazing permit! My local permit grants me access to multiple parks after dark for the entire year at a wildly reasonable cost.

As always, I will include reminders throughout the month in future Monday Muses, and share any photos I take!

Thanks for reading!

Sending peace & clear skies your way <3

~ Alyssa