August will be an exciting month in the sky. We will be able to observe three of the best sights in astronomy. One can be seen by everyone, but one can be seen only if you travel, and one can be only partially seen. The first one will be a meteor shower that occurs when a noticeable number of meteors, often called “shooting stars,” streak across the sky. Meteor showers can be enjoyed by everyone, and the best one is the annual Perseid meteor shower that will peak on the night of August 12-13. Meteors will be seen all over the sky, but if their trails are traced back, they will seem to come from the northeastern sky near the constellation Perseus (the Hero). After midnight when this area, called the radiant, is highest and your sky is dark, you may see an average of about a meteor a minute. Fewer meteors will be seen earlier, but observers may have better luck this year. The worldwide peak of the meteor shower is expected to occur at about 4:00 p.m. CDT, so more meteors may be seen in the evening than usual. Also, this is the day of the new Moon, so there will be no moonlight to obscure dimmer meteors.

Meteor showers happen when the Earth crosses the orbital path of a comet and collides with debris that the comet left behind. Although these bits of rock or dust are smaller than a grain of sand, the enormous speed of their collision with the atmosphere creates great friction that heats them and the gases up so they both glow for a very short period of time before the meteors burn up. Although the meteors will be traveling on parallel paths, they will seem to have come from a small area of the sky because of the effects of perspective. All parallel objects, like highway lanes, will seem to come together in the far distance.

The second sight will be a total eclipse of the Sun that also will occur on August 12. However, since its track will be mostly in the far north or over water, you will need to travel to the arctic, Iceland, or Spain to experience totality. The path of the partial eclipse will extend to Alaska, Canada, and the northeastern United States, so you will be able to see the Moon take a “bite” out of the Sun in those areas.

The final event will be an eclipse of the Moon on the night of August 27 over the entire United States. Unfortunately, the northernmost part of the Moon will not pass through Earth’s shadow, so about 4-7% of the Moon will remain in sunlight. While this is a partial eclipse, the effect will be very similar to a total eclipse, and most of the Moon will be a reddish color. Since the eclipse will occur everywhere simultaneously, if you can see the Moon from 9:33 to 12:52 CDT, you will be able to follow the major parts of the eclipse. The midpoint of the eclipse will occur at 11:13 CDT.

Meanwhile, Venus will continue to blaze low in the western sky, and Saturn will join it later in the evening. Saturn will rise in a dim part of the eastern sky at about 11:00 in early August and at about 9:00 as the month ends.

Observing Highlights

-Aug. 3: The Moon and Saturn will rise together at about 11:00.

-Aug. 9: The Moon will rise near Mars at about 3:00.

-Aug. 11: The crescent Moon will be very close to Mercury before dawn. Binoculars may be needed to see the fleet planet.

-Aug. 12: The day of the solar eclipse and the Perseid meteor shower.

-Aug. 15: Star Party sponsored by Grout Museum & Black Hawk Astronomy Club, Prairie Grove Park, Waterloo, 9-10:30. The crescent Moon will be below brilliant Venus low in the western sky.

-Aug. 16: The Moon will be to the left of Venus and to the lower right of Spica, the brightest star in Virgo (the Maiden).

-Aug. 20: The Moon will be close to the lower right of Antares, the bright reddish heart of Scorpius (the Scorpion).

-Aug. 27: An eclipse of the Moon will take place from 9:33-12:52 CDT. Adjust the time for your time zone

-Aug. 30: The Moon will be close to Saturn for the second time. Since the Moon orbits the Earth in 27.3 days, it can be near the same planet or star twice in a month.