By Pat Beers Block
Welcome Star Gazers to this month’s highlights of celestial events visible in Fluvanna County!
Fun events to view in August
The lazy days of summer seem to not only impact humans but also the celestial sky this month; there is a paucity of events to highlight and view this August. There will be a few noteworthy conjunctions (remote objects visually appear close to one another), and unique events to observe including the return of the annual Perseids meteor shower, a major Class I event that can produce up to 75 meteors an hour, and the appearance of the somewhat rare Black Moon. The August full moon has an interesting and logical colloquial name, and we get to enjoy the warm summer evenings to observe the great sky above!
Hopefully some of these events capture your interest and motivate you to spend time observing the night and early morning dark sky this month. So let’s get ready to engage in observing these events by setting up your star gazing equipment, charging your cell phones and linking to Sky Guide, Sky View Lite, or any other star gazing applications that you find useful, and settling into your favorite viewing spot to witness the magic of the night and early morning skies!
Week 1 (August 1- 9)
We start August with the first quarter moon appearing on August 1. The moon will appear illuminated on the right half of its surface. On this date, Venus will be visible in the western sky.
On August 3, the moon will be in conjunction with the star Antares in the constellation Scorpius.
From August 6- August 18, two of our brightest plants- Venus and Jupiter- appear close to one another, with the best viewing day being August 12.
On August 9, the full moon appears. This moon bears the Native American colloquial name of the Sturgeon Moon because of the abundancy of sturgeon fish in lakes (the Great Lakes in particular) at this time of the year. This moon has also been called the Grain Moon because of the abundance of grain; the Feather Shedding Moon by the Passamaquoddy people; the Young Ducks Begin to Fly by the Cree; the Dry Moon by the Catawba people; and the Drying Up Moon by the Cherokee people due to the drying of streams and rivers at this time of the year. The full moon will be at its peak around 4am this date.
Week 2 (August 10-16)
On August 12, the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter (noted above) will be positioned such that Venus will appear bright while Jupiter takes on a golden glow. The conjunction of the moon and the planet Saturn will also occur on this date. Saturn will appear as a bright yellow start; this conjunction will be visible around 11pm.
Yet another highlight on this date will be the appearance of the Perseid meteor shower. The best time to observe this shower, which can produce up to 75 meteors per hour, is around 90 minutes after the sun sets. The meteors originate from the region where the constellation Perseus is located, and are particles released from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Unfortunately, meteor viewing might be challenged by the appearance of a bright waning (getting larger) gibbous moon; but still take time this evening to attempt to view this active, annual meteor shower.
On August 16, the moon enters its last quarter when the left side of its face is illuminated. On this date, the moon is in conjunction with the star cluster Pleiades (aka the Seven Sisters, and M45) in the constellation Taurus.
Week 3 (August 17-23)
On August 19, the conjunction of the planet Mercury with the Beehive Star Cluster (Messier 44) occurs early in the morning. Mercury will be visible this date since it is far away from the Sun. At its highest point just above the horizon, Mercury will be visible in the eastern sky just before sunrise on August 19. The conjunction of the moon with the planet Jupiter will occur around 2pm but will probably not be visible with the naked eye.
From August 19-21, four celestial bodies will be visible about 30 minutes before sunrise. These include the moon located above the planets Jupiter and Venus, and the presence of Mercury just below these two planets.
On August 20, the moon will be in conjunction with the star Pollux within the constellation Gemini.
The new moon phase will occur on August 23 at which time the moon will no longer be visible except as a ghost-like sphere in the sky.
Weeks 4- 5 (August 24-31)
On August 26, the moon will be in conjunction with the planet Mars. On August 27 , the moon will be in conjunction with the star Spica, the brightest star within the constellation Virgo.
Concluding the month on August 31, the moon will again be in conjunction with the star Antares within the constellation Scorpius. The planet Venus will be in conjunction with the Beehive Star cluster (Messier 44) . The moon will again enter a first quarter phase when the right side of its face will be illuminated.
In Summary…
There is one last item to note as we end the celestial highlights of August. This month is a somewhat rare time when a Black Moon appears in the sky. A Black Moon occurs about 3 years and is defined as the second new moon in one calendar month, or when a third new moon in a season of four new moons appears. This month’s moon meets the second definition; it’s the third new moon in the season of four new moons. This moon is invisible since it is positioned between the Earth and the Sun.
Beyond these noted events, it is worth exploring celestial stories and events that are posted on NASA’s homepage, and visiting websites that provide information about space rocket and satellite launches, the travels of the ISS, and aurora borealis flare-ups that might be visible in Fluvanna county.
With the perpetual motion of planets and stars, the daily changing sky promises to entertain you for a lifetime! Until next month, keep your eyes facing the morning and evening sky to see the wonders of our universe as we Earthlings travel through it!
[information has been extracted from Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2025 – Sea and Sky (seasky.org); https://eclispe.gsfc.nasa.gov; https://highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub; https://amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers; https://starwalk.space; https://spacetourismguide.com; Wikipedia; https://SkyatNightMagazine.com; theskylive.com; the Farmers’ Almanac]
