AUGUST 2005 SKYLIGHTS
AUGUST SPOTLIGHTS:
Although the Perseids,
one of the best meteor showers, peak on the 12th after midnight,
there are minor showers and random meteors all month, mostly after midnight.
On the early evening race
course in the western twilight, brilliant Venus challenges Jupiter from the
22nd. These brightest of the planets are just three Moon’s widths apart by the
31st. Trailing behind (above) them is Spica in Virgo.
On the predawn race
course Saturn (brighter) and Mercury duel from the 18th on and are
joined by the Moon on the 31st.
The third largest tidal
range occurs on the 19th due to coincidence of Full Moon and its
third closest proximity to Earth this year.
MOON PHASES:
Fri. 5th: New
Sat. 13th:
First Quarter
Fri. 19th:
Full
Fri. 26th:
Last Quarter
THE MOON SAILS NEAR:
Wed. 3rd:
Pollux in Gemini before dawn
Sat. 6th:
Regulus in Leo in evening
Sun. 7th:
Venus in evening
Tue. 9th:
Jupiter in evening
Thu. 11th:
Spica in Virgo in evening
Sun. 14th:
Antares in Scorpius in evening
Thu. 25th:
Mars before dawn
Fri. 26th:
Pleiades star cluster before dawn
Sat. 27th:
Aldebaran in Taurus before dawn
Tue. 30th:
Pollux in Gemini before dawn
Wed. 31st:
Saturn before dawn
AUGUST PLANET
PARTICULARS:
The spotlight of Venus
commands the evening race course in the west until Jupiter begins its challenge
around the 22nd. Although the Moon is not a contender, its pairing
with Venus on the 7th is gorgeous.
Mars is a brighter
presence on the late evening race course. Before dawn Saturn is trailed by
little Mercury by the 18th.
AUGUST BRIGHTEST
NAVIGATION STARS:
Dusk: Arcturus, Vega,
Altair, Antares
Dawn: Sirius, Arcturus,
Achernar, Betelgeuse
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