August is one of the best months to enjoy astronomical events. In fact, among the most notable events is this month’s great meteor shower: the perseids. But it is not the only thing in the sky that we can enjoy, we will also see several planets in the sky, such as Saturn. But what astronomical events does August bring us?
Let’s start with the phases of the Moon. On August 6 there will be a New Moon; on the 15th it will be in a crescent quarter. And after this, it will continue to grow until it reaches the New Moon on August 22. Finally, at the end of the month, on the 30th, the Moon will already be in a decreasing phase.
Among the planets that we will see this month are Saturn, Mars or Mercury. On August 2, the opposition of Saturn will take place, that is, it will be aligned between the Sun and the Earth and can be observed (and photographed) that day. We will have to wait until August 19 to see the conjunction of Mars and Mercury in the sky.
The star astronomical event: the Perseids
August has one of the most enjoyable astronomical events. On the one hand, because it is summer and it is usually easier to find yourself in a secluded place and with little light pollution. And, on the other hand, because the Perseids, also known as Tears of Saint Lawrence, are among the most remarkable meteor showers of the year due to the amount of meteors that can be observed and their great luminosity. In addition, this year will coincide with the fact that the moon will not yet have reached the first quarter phase; so the satellite it will not prevent with its light being able to observe the rain of stars in all its glory.
On the night of August 12 to 13, we will see the shooting stars cross our sky. The Tears of Saint Lawrence They are spectacular because about 60 meteors can be seen per hour.
Meteor showers occur when dust, ice, or other comet or asteroid debris comes into contact with Earth’s atmosphere and ignites. In fact, the Perseids begin because of the remnants of comet Swift-Tuttle, discovered in 1862.