The biggest show this month is the annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the best of the year. This year, it’ll be spectacular again because no moonlight will get in the way. The skies will be genuinely dark.
If you’re not already there, you owe yourself to head out to the countryside, as far away from light pollution as possible to maximize your Perseid pleasure! The Perseid meteor shower began modestly in mid-July, but it really picks up in intensity in early August. It peaks the night of Aug. 11-12, although it’ll be almost as good two to three nights before the peak and a night or two after.
I’ll have much more on the Perseids in the coming week in Starwatch. As a bonus, this year, right around the peak of the Perseids, you can witness a spectacular conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Mars. On Aug.
14, they’ll be at their closest, less than a half degree apart. You’ll easily get both planets in the same field of view with even a small telescope or binoculars. Mars will appear more or less like an orange dot, but with Jupiter, you’ll see up to four of its brightest moons and maybe even some cloud bands on the great planet.
Saturn is also available in the early morning skies this month, but it’s also available before midnight, as well. One of the best telescope targets continues to rise earlier and earlier this month, rising around 10:30 in early August but around 9:30 toward the month’s end. It’s best to wait about an hour or so to view Saturn through.