UPI – Warm summer nights are numbered across North America with the start of autumn right around the corner, but there will be several notable night sky events for stargazers to enjoy before the arrival of meteorological fall on September 1.
Shortly before the midpoint of August, the dog days of summer will conclude. From July 3 through August 11, Sirius, known as the dog star, appears to rise and set with the sun. Some ancient people believed that the extra light from the bright star added to the heat of the day, and while the myth has been debunked, the nickname continues to live on.
Sirius will once again become visible by the end of the month, rising in the eastern sky at the end of the night before daybreak just below the constellation Orion. From a “super blue moon” to an onslaught of shooting stars, here are the top astronomy events to mark on your calendar in August:
One of the best meteor showers of the year will peak during the second weekend of August, presenting the perfect opportunity to spot shooting stars streaking across the sky.
Up to 100 meteors per hour may be seen from dark, cloud-free areas of North America as the annual Perseids peak on the night of August 12 into the early morning of August 13.
Late August will offer excellent views of one of the largest planets in the solar system – no telescope required. On August 27, Saturn will reach opposition, a point in its orbit where the planet appears directly opposite of the sun from the perspective of the Earth. This is also around the same time that it is closest to the Earth, meaning that Saturn will glow brightly in the sky all night long.
No special equipment is needed to spot the second-largest planet in the solar system, but most telescopes have enough magnification power to reveal Saturn’s famous rings.
A rare astronomical event will unfold in the night sky at the end of the month, although it may look like many other events throughout the year. Two full moons will rise in August, the first one appearing on the first night of the month, followed by another on August 30.
Both will be supermoons, appearing slightly larger and brighter than a normal full moon, but the latter will outshine the former due to its nickname. When two full moons occur in the same calendar month, the second is referred to as a blue moon. The most recent blue moon of its kind occurred on October 31, 2020, and another one will not occur until May 31, 2026.
