By Neill Simmons
The highlight of August is the Perseid Meteor Shower that peaks on Wednesday, the 12, into the morning of the 13th. At the same time, there will be NO moon light to interfere with the show. If you can get away from the city lights, it is predicted that 50 to 100 meteors per hour can been seen.
A “shooting star” is a meteor, which is the streak of light seen when a space rock burns up in Earth’s atmosphere. If the rock survives its fiery descent and lands on the ground, it becomes a meteorite. If you are lucky enough to find one, it may be very valuable.
August is a good month to look straight up to see the Summer Triangle. This is an asterism and is formed by the three brightest stars in three separate constellations: Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in Aquila the Eagle. This asterism is easy to see even in light-polluted Los Angeles. An “asterism” is a pattern or star group that is easily seen but not considered an official constellation.
On the 16th, the brightest planet, Venus, will appear 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.” Even though Mercury is closer to the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. Its surface temperature can reach a scorching 880° F, which is hot enough to melt lead!
If you are traveling to either Iceland or Spain this summer, there will be a total eclipse of the Sun on August 12. A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth. The Moon then casts a big shadow on the Earth, temporarily blocking the Sun’s light and turning daytime into evening for a few minutes. Remember to always protect your eyes with special solar viewing glasses.
Speaking of eclipses, there will be a partial lunar eclipse on Thursday night and Friday morning the 27 and 28. A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting it’s shadow on the lunar surface causing the moon to dim and turn a reddish hue. For this partial eclipse, the moon will be over 96% covered.
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 “S” 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.
Right next to Antares is Messier 4 (M4) which is the closest globular star cluster to Earth.
On Saturday, August 8, at 8 pm, the Ventura County Astronomical Society will host a free Star Party at Paramount Ranch located at 2903 Cornell Road, Agoura Hills. The event is outdoors so it may get chilly. Only red flashlights are allowed. Please no pets.
There will be lots of telescopes for viewing the night sky and amateur astronomers will be available to share their knowledge.
On August 14, 15, 16, Big Bear Lake will host “Sky Fest” to explore the dark skies. There will be many activities with both free and paid events. Check out bigbear.com/events/skyfest for more information.
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 22, from 2 pm until 9:45 pm. This event is free.
When not stargazing, Neill Simmons, is an Investment Executive with LPL Financial in Woodland Hills.
If you have any astronomy or financial questions, he may be reached at (818) 936-2626 or emailed at neill.simmons@lpl.com.
