Regardless of whether you’re a veteran amateur astronomer, or complete newcomer to stargazing, the next few months will be providing some great views for everyone who finds themselves out in the evening.
First, one of the most popular meteor showers of the year, the Perseids, peaks around the 12th of August, but its beginnings can be viewed as we speak. As the Perseids gain strength, last month’s Delta Aquarids are finishing up, so the odds of catching a few meteor streaks, from one or the other, are fairly high.
More on the Perseids next week; what’s really acting up are those normally well-behaved planets.
In the south, red Mars has begun moving to the left toward dimmer Saturn, and will pass four degrees below it around the 21st, so be sure to check its motion daily. However, it’s the western horizon that will be putting on a show from now into September, and then some sequels on into the new year.
Sunset is at 8:30 on the 4th, and 8pm on the 20th, so evenings are darkening quickly. Fifteen minutes or so after the Sun is beneath the horizon, brilliant Venus should begin to show up above where the Sun previously set. Venus sets about 30 minutes after the Sun, so don’t dawdle. A little higher and to the left will be Mercury, joined on the 4th by a very thin crescent Moon. A little further still will be Jupiter. Each day this trio of planets will be visibly closer together, until, on August 27th, the tightest grouping will occur. On that date, Mercury will be found just below Jupiter and Venus, which in turn will be so close together that they will appear as a single planet to the naked eye. Binoculars will provide an outstanding view, but in a telescope, you get ‘spectacular’: Jupiter’s four brightest moons will be strung out to one side with Venus sliding past just over top of them. This is one event sure to have astronomers scrambling for their cameras.
While you will be able to notice the apparent movement of the planets on pretty much a daily basis, they are, in fact, not moving any more quickly than they have been all year. Planets are far enough away that their true motions in their orbits are not visible; it’s the Earth’s motion in our orbit that aligns the planets at one time and spreads them out at others. It’s a complicated dance our solar system puts on, which is why I try to avoid the ‘why’ and just try to get out and enjoy the show.
And, as the evening darkens and the planets sink toward the horizon, don’t forget those meteor showers. Whether it’s prancing planets or shooting stars, it can all be found in your back yard, should you only choose to look.
