Whats Up for August 2022? Get your binoculars for planet watching, the outlook for the Perseids, and flying with Cygnus the swan.
What are some skywatching highlights in August 2022?
August begins with a close combination of the Red Planet and far-off ice giant world Uranus. Its increasing as night falls in August. This is most likely not the year to make an unique trip in order to see the Perseids, however, if you find yourself outside between midnight and dawn on August 13th, do not forget to look up anyhow.
The outlook for the Perseid meteors isnt excellent due to a full moon on the peak night of August 12, but still its worth keeping an eye out for early Perseids after midnight the week before. And August is a terrific month to discover an easy-to-spot constellation– Cygnus the swan.
The outlook for the Perseid meteors isnt great due to a complete moon on the peak night of August 12, but still its worth keeping an eye out for early Perseids after midnight the week in the past. And August is a fantastic month to discover an easy-to-spot constellation– Cygnus the swan.
The early morning planet parade weve been taking pleasure in the previous couple of months comes to an end in August, with Venus and Saturn making their exits on opposite sides of the sky. That still leaves Mars and Jupiter high overhead to take pleasure in.
In reality, August begins with a close combination of the Red Planet and far-off ice giant world Uranus. Uranus can be hard to find without a self-guided telescope, however its a simple item for binoculars if you understand where to look. And on the 1st, youll discover the small, bluish disc of Uranus just northwest of Mars in the early morning sky. Theyll easily fit within the same field of vision through binoculars.
Sky chart showing the areas of the Moon and Jupiter in the pre-dawn sky on August 15. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Proceeding to the early morning of the 15th, youll find the Moon only a fingers width from Jupiter. Like Mars and Uranus, theyll make an excellent pairing through binoculars, and youll also likely catch a peek of Jupiters four largest moons.
The Moon then works its way eastward, to sign up with Mars on August 19th. This is another nice pairing for binoculars, plus youll find the pair very close to the Pleiades– you may even have the ability to fit them all into the exact same view.
Sky chart showing Saturn rising in the east an hour approximately after dark in early August. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Moving to the evening sky, Saturn is transitioning from a late night and early morning object to an all-night sight. Its increasing as night falls in August. Look low in the east around 9 p.m. to find it as a steady, yellowish point of light. Youll find that the Ringed Planet rises a bit earlier each night throughout the month.
Saturns at opposition this month, meaning its straight on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. When the Ringed Planet appears its greatest and brightest for the year, its around this time.
By the end of the month, youll begin to see Jupiter rising around 9 p.m. to sign up with Saturn.
This implies Jupiter will be pulling double duty as an early evening item, appearing in the eastern sky, and an early morning one, appearing in the west.
The Perseid meteors are an annual occasion a number of us skywatchers anticipate, as they frequently produce great deals of shooting stars to take pleasure in. Unfortunately, this year all however the brightest Perseids will be rinsed by a moon on the peak night of August 12.
This is most likely not the year to make a special trip in order to see the Perseids, but, if you discover yourself outside in between midnight and dawn on August 13th, dont forget to look up anyhow. Since you never know– you might just capture among the intense Perseid meteors that defies the glare of the Moon. And do not forget the periodic early Perseid can streak across the sky as much as a week beforehand.
The constellation Cygnus represents a stylish swan soaring across the dirty lanes of the Milky Way. Credit: NASA/Preston Dyches
Youll find the constellation Cygnus, the swan, flying high in the eastern sky after dark in August. Cygnus has an overall shape like a T or cross, and includes a star pattern sometimes called “the Northern Cross.”
Cygnus is anchored by its brightest star, Deneb, which represents the swans tail. Deneb is the northern most of the three stars in the Summer Triangle, and its visible even in brilliant city skies. On the other end of Cygnus from Deneb is double star Albireo, which is a stargazing favorite, as it reveals beautiful blue and gold colors through even the most modest telescope.
T-shaped Cygnus is simple to find, thanks to brilliant star Deneb, which represents the swans tail. Search for Deneb as the northernmost of the three brilliant stars that form the Summer Triangle. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Now, Cygnus lies right along the airplane of the Milky Way, so its dense with glittering stars and dark dust clouds, with lots of interest for telescope observers and astrophotographers to take pleasure in, including the North America Nebula, the Veil Nebula, and the Blinking Planetary Nebula. It likewise includes the open star clusters M29 and M39, which are noticeable with binoculars.
Youre observing the sky where you live, August is a terrific time to discover the constellation Cygnus, the graceful swan skyrocketing throughout the dirty lanes of the Milky Way.