By Neill Simmons
The highlight of August occurs when the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, appear very close to each other from 4:15 to 5:15 am on early Tuesday morning, the 12th. Venus is the brightest planet at this time. Get up the next few mornings at the same time and notice how far the planets have moved away from each other.
The Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of the 12th. This year, Perseids will be affected by moonlight, as the Moon will be 84% full during the peak. Try to see the meteors by 9:45 pm before the moonlight will make it more difficult to spot the meteors.
The next full Moon in August will occur on Saturday, the 9th. This full Moon will be the first of four in a row that are also considered super Moons, meaning the Moon will appear slightly larger and brighter than usual. The “super” part refers to the Moon’s orbit, which brings it slightly closer to Earth this month, making it appear bigger and brighter. This Moon is also known as the Sturgeon Moon. This name came from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. This native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer and was an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. An interesting fact is that the day before a full Moon and the day after a full Moon, the Moon appears full to our eyes.
Mark Saturday, August 23, on your calendar, as a fun and local “star party” will come back to Paramount Ranch. The Ventura County Astronomical Society is putting on “An Evening Under the Stars” with many telescopes and special events. You can bring a telescope you own also. The location is in Agoura Hills and there is plenty of room to park. It starts at 8 pm but get there before it gets dark to take full advantage of the evening. Night temperatures can be chilly so dress accordingly. This event is free.
One of the great sights in August is the constellation Sagittarius. Its nickname is the “Teapot” because of its resemblance to an actual teapot. There are eight bright stars that make up this distinctive pattern. On a clear, dark night, the Milky Way appears to pour out of the spout of the teapot. This can be easily seen at the Paramount Ranch event.
Next to Sagittarius is the majestic constellation, Scorpio. Look for the scorpion’s hooked tail and follow it up to the scorpion’s heart, which is the massive red super giant star, Antares. Antares is 700 times larger than our Sun. A little more difficult to see are the giant upward lifted claws.
Another sight to see is the Summer Triangle. The Summer Triangle isn’t a constellation. It’s an asterism, or a noticeable pattern of stars. This pattern consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations: Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. If you are lucky enough to be under a dark sky on a moonless night, you’ll be able to see the Milky Way galaxy between Vega and Altair.
August is the best month to see both the Big and Little Dipper which are easily recognizable star patterns, or asterisms, that are part of larger constellations. The Big Dipper is part of Ursa Major (the Great Bear), while the Little Dipper is part of Ursa Minor (the Little Bear). The two dippers are useful for navigation, as the Big Dipper can be used to find Polaris (the North Star), which marks the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. Both asterisms are circumpolar, meaning they are always visible in the night sky for observers in the Northern Hemisphere, though their position changes throughout the night and year.
When not stargazing, Neill Simmons is an Investment Executive with LPL Financial . If you have astronomy or financial questions, he may be reached at (818) 936-2626 or by email at neill.simmons@lpl.com.
