By Heather Durham | July 31, 2021
Greetings Folks! I hope you are enjoying your summer and sky watching. This month, I added three videos that will give you a greater perspective as well as more in-depth information on our evening skies this month. There is one about our Moon, the most popular as well as easily visible happenings, plus.
The day will come when diligent research over long periods will bring to light things that now are hidden. A single life time, even though entirely devoted to research, would not be enough for the investigation of so vast a subject… And so this knowledge will be unfolded through long suggestive ages. There will come a time when our descendants will be amazed that we did not know things that are so plain to them… Many discoveries are reserved for ages still to come, when memory of us will have been effaced. Our universe is a sorry little affair unless it has in it something for every age to investigate… Nature does not reveal her mysteries once and for all (Seneca, Natural Questions, Book 7, ca. first century).
This month, we have the Perseids, the Seasonal Blue Moon and more so let’s get to reading this summarization.
August 2. Saturn will align with the Earth and Sun. Saturn will be as high as it ever is as well as very bright.
When a planet is at opposition, it forms a straight line with the Earth and the Sun, with the Earth at the center of the three. According to Royal Observatory in London, opposition typically presents the best opportunities for viewing far-off planets like Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune because the planets will be brightly illuminated and riding high in the sky (Smithsonianmag.com).
August 11. The Moon and Venus will rise and ascend close together.
August 12. The Perseid meteor shower will peak today. Between moonset and dawn the next morning will be for prime viewing.
August 15. The Moon will be at first quarter.
August 20. The Moon and Saturn will ascend closely together.
August 22. The Moon and Jupiter will rise closely to one another. Jupiter will be bright and right above the moon then later, to the right of the Moon. The Sturgeon Blue Moon will be full.
The moon’s name derives from America’s largest freshwater fish, the lake sturgeon. While they used to thrive, sturgeon fish are now one of the most critically endangered species. Legend has it that, during August’s full moon, you can still catch a glimpse of a sturgeon fish in America’s lakes (Countryliving.com).
August 24. Mercury will peak today.
August 30. The Moon will be at its last quarter.
References:
Brian Dunbar, B.D. (2020, April 10). Planets. Retrieved from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/overview/
Eyes Turned Skyward. (2021). Astronomy & Cosmology. Retrieved from www.eyesturnedskyward.com/astronomyquotes.html
Ford, D.F. (2021, July 10). August 2021 Events. Retrieved from https://in-the-sky.org/newscal.php?month=8&year=2021&maxdiff=1#datesel
McGreevy, N.M. (2021, January 7). 10 Celestial Events to Look Forward to in 2021. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ten-celestial-events-look-forward-2021-180976687/
Nieskins, A.N. [Old Farmer’s Almanac]. (2019, April 30). The Full Moon [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/jiRUNI_GDwk
Now, N.N. [New Now]. (2021a, June 26). Perseids Meteor Shower 2021 [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/tnluA3d6ehA
Now, N.N. [New Now]. (2021b, July 1). Blue Moon, August 22, 2021 [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/MmDP6WKUe4c
Walden, L.W. (2020, August 2). The Sturgeon Moon. Retrieved from https://www.countryliving.com/uk/news/a28560453/full-sturgeon-moon-august/
Milton Observer 