By Neill Simmons
The highlight of August occurs on Monday the fifth. Look west 30 minutes after sunset at approximately 8:20 pm. The brightest planet, Venus, will appear low in the west. At the same time, the beautiful, thin crescent Moon will appear so close to Venus that it will look like the two heavenly bodies are touching. This phenomenon is called a “conjunction.”
Many stargazers look forward to the month of August because this is when the Perseid Meteor Shower happens. The peak nights this year will be on the 10th, 11th, and 12th. A potential problem will be the brightness of the Moon until 10 pm when it will be low enough on the horizon to darken the night sky. The meteor shower will continue all night long.
Look east after 11 pm each night of August to see the ringed-planet Saturn. Notice its yellow tint due to atmospheric conditions. Saturn is very far from Earth at almost 830 million miles away. We can easily see it with the naked eye because of its massive size. After Jupiter, it is the second largest planet with a diameter of almost 75,000 miles. To give an idea of just how big Saturn is, 764 Earths can fit inside of it!
DAWN PATROL: On the early morning of August 10, set your alarm to 4 am to see the conjunction of Jupiter and Mars. They will appear to be so close to each other that astronomers call this a “Sky Kiss.” At the same time and in the same area, a very bright star named Aldebaran will be visible. Aldebaran is 44 times as large as our Sun with a diameter of 38 million miles. This reddish, giant star is located in the constellation Taurus, The Bull. Look east.
August 19 brings us a “Super Full Moon.” A Super Moon occurs when the Moon’s elliptical orbit comes close to the Earth resulting in a larger than usual appearance. The August Full Moon is also known as “The Sturgeon Moon.” This name comes from the giant freshwater fish that was an important food staple of Native Americans.
August has two of the greatest summer constellations. Look in the south after dark to see Sagittarius and Scorpius majestically positioned side by side.
The main stars in Sagittarius form a giant “teapot.” With a dark sky, the Milky Way appears as steam coming from the spout. Looking at the Milky Way is looking at our galactic center. Next to Sagittarius is the constellation, Scorpius. It appears to be a giant letter “J” but if you look closely you can see the scorpion’s claws reaching upwards. The giant red star, Antares, is located in the center and represents the scorpion’s heart. Many star clusters are visible with binoculars in this constellation.
Many folks ask where is a good place near Los Angeles to see the night sky. Some of the best places are at the beaches north of Malibu or take a drive up to Mt. Pinos by Frazier Park.
Ursa Major, The Big Dipper, is hanging by its handle with the bowl close to the horizon. Right above it is Ursa Minor, The Little Dipper, which is high in the north. Polaris, The North Star, is located at the end of the handle. Polaris is not the brightest star, but it is the only star in our sky that does not rotate and is always in the north.
Once a month, the Griffith Park Observatory partners with local telescope groups to share their telescopes and knowledge with the public. With dozens of telescopes on the lawn, there’s always something to see! Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 10. It begins at dusk and is totally free.
When not stargazing, Neill Simmons is a Wealth Advisor with LPL Financial in Woodland Hills. If you have any astronomy or financial questions, he may be reached at (818) 936-2626 or by email at neill.simmons@lpl.com.
