Dave Mitsky
28-July-2004, 08:45 PM
August Calendar by Dave Mitsky
All times are UT (subtract 4 hours and when appropriate 1 calendar day for EDT).
8/1 Lammas, a cross quarter day; Neptune is 5 degrees
north of the Moon at 3:00; asteroid 4 Vesta
is stationary in right ascension at 17:00
8/2 Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon at 12:00
8/3 Maximum lunar libration of 8.3 degrees occurs at
10:00; Venus is at its greatest heliocentric
latitude south (-3.4 degrees) at 11:00
8/4 Mars (longitude 154.6 degrees) and Uranus
(longitude 334.6 degrees) are at heliocentric
opposition at 8:00; asteroid 16 Psyche
(magnitude 9.3) is at opposition at 10:00
8/6 Neptune (magnitude 7.8) is at opposition at 3:00
8/7 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 35.8
degrees) at 2:43; Last Quarter Moon occurs at
22:01; Mars is at aphelion, a distance of
1.6661 astronomical units from the Sun, at
23:00
8/9 Mercury is stationary in right ascension at 5:00 -
retrograde (western) motion commences;
minimum lunar libration of 4.8 degrees occurs
at 22:00
8/10 Mars is 0.65 degrees north-northeast of the first
magnitude star Regulus at 5:00; the sun
enters Leo (longitude 137.97 degrees) at 7:00
8/11 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'29" from a
distance of 405,292 km, at 10:00; an outburst
of Perseid meteors of as many as a few
hundred per hour is predicted to occur at
20:54
8/12 The traditional peak of the Perseid meteor shower
(~60/hour) occurs at 11:00
8/13 Saturn is 5 degrees south of the Moon at 9:00;
the Moon is 1.8 degrees south of the first
magnitude star Pollux at 14:00; asteroid 1
Ceres (magnitude 8.6) is 4.3 degrees
northeast of asteroid 6 Hebe (magnitude 11.2)
at 18:00
8/14 The Moon is 3.4 degrees north-northeast of the
open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster) at
18:00
8/15 Maximum lunar libration of 7.3 degrees occurs at
23:00
8/16 New Moon (lunation 1010) occurs at 1:24; the Moon
is 4.1 degrees north-northeast of the first
magnitude star Regulus at 14:00; asteroid
4 Vesta (magnitude 6.5) is 0.2' north of the
fourth magnitude star 3 Ceti at approximately
20:07; Mars is 3.3 degrees south-southwest
of the Moon at 22:00
8/17 Mercury is 6 degrees south of Mars at 3:00; Venus
is at theoretical dichotomy (i.e., 50%
illuminated) at 11:00; Venus is at greatest
western elongation (46 degrees) at 19:00
8/18 Jupiter is 3 degrees south of the Moon at 5:00;
Mercury is 5.8 degrees south-southwest of Mars
at 20:00
8/19 Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) passes between two
moderately faint galaxies in Ursa Major, NGC
4036 and NGC 4041, tonight
8/20 Mercury is at greatest heliocentric latitude
south (-7.0 degrees) at 11:00; the Moon is 3.0
degrees north-northeast of the first
magnitude star Spica at 18:00
8/21 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude
214.3 degrees) at 12:12
8/22 Minimum lunar libration of 4.8 degrees occurs at
14:00
8/23 First Quarter Moon occurs at 10:12; Mercury is at
inferior conjunction (4.3 degrees south of the
Sun) at 21:00
8/24 The Moon is 1.6 degrees north of the first
magnitude star Antares
8/26 Mercury is 4.4 degrees southwest of Regulus at
20:00
8/27 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'44" from a
distance of 365,104 km, at 6:00; Uranus
(magnitude 5.7) is at opposition at 19:00
8/28 Neptune is 5 degrees north of the Moon at 9:00
8/29 Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon at 20:00
8/30 Full Moon, known as the Green Corn or Grain Moon
occurs at 2:22; maximum lunar libration of
7.3 degrees occurs at 7:00
8/31 Asteroid 3 Juno is stationary in right ascension
at 14:00; Pluto is stationary in right
ascension at 17:00 - direct or prograde
(eastward) motion resumes; Venus (magnitude -
4.2) is 1.9 degrees south of Saturn (magnitude
0.3) at 20:00
Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm
In early August Mercury can be seen with difficulty approximately 13 degrees to the lower right of Jupiter at dusk.
Brilliant Venus rises some 3.5 to 4 hours before the Sun this month. On August 9 the planet lies 5 degrees south of M35. Venus is at greatest western elongation on August 17 and is some 24" in apparent size at that time. Through telescopes or binoculars it appears to be half illuminated for a period of a few days. Venus spans only 21" by the end of August.
Mars shrinks to 3.5" in apparent size as it reaches aphelion in August. The situation is almost the exact opposite of that of August of last year when Mars was historically close to the Earth.
By month's end Jupiter sets about 45 minutes after the Sun. On the evening of August 17 Jupiter and the crescent Moon form a close pair.
Saturn rises 90 minutes before sunrise on August 1. Venus closes the gap with Saturn during the month and on August 31 the two are a mere 2 degrees apart.
Uranus (magnitude 5.7) can be found 0.5 degree north of Sigma Aquarii (magnitude 4.8). It is at opposition of August 27 and can be seen with the naked-eye from a dark site.
Neptune (magnitude 7.8) is situated about 0.5 degree north of Theta Capricorni (magnitude 4.1). It also reaches opposition in August.
Pluto returns to Ophiuchus for a short time this month.
This year's Perseid meteor shower may be an exceptionally good one on the mornings of August 11 and 12.
Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) and Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) are still readily visible through amateur instruments. Seventh magnitude Comet NEAT Q4 is above the bowl of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, while sixth magnitude Comet LINEAR K4 passes through Bootes and Coma Berenices and enters Virgo.
Comet C/2003 (Tabur), an eleventh magnitude comet, passes south of NGC 2841, a ninth magnitude galaxy in Ursa Major, on the nights of August 22 and 23.
Sixty binary and multiple stars for August: 5 Aquilae, Struve 2404, 11 Aquilae, Struve 2426, 15 Aquilae, Struve 2449, 23 Aquilae, Struve 2532, Pi Aquilae, 57 Aquilae (Aquila); Beta Cygni (Albireo), 16 Cygni, Delta Cygni, 17 Cygni (Cygnus); 41 & 40 Draconis, 39 Draconis, Struve 2348, Sigma Draconis, Struve 2573, Epsilon Draconis (Draco); 95 Herculis, 100 Herculis, Struve 2289, Struve 2411 (Hercules); Struve 2349, Struve 2372, Epsilon-1 & Epsilon-2 Lyrae (the Double-Double), Zeta-2 Lyrae, Beta Lyrae, Otto Struve 525, Struve 2470 & Struve 2474 (the Other Double-Double) (Lyra); 67 Ophiuchi, 69 Ophiuchi, 70 Ophiuchi, Struve 2276, 74 Ophiuchi (Ophiuchus); Mu Sagittarii, Eta Sagittarii, 21 Sagittarii, Zeta Sagittarii, H N 119, 52 Sagittarii, 54 Sagittarii (Sagittarius); Struve 2306, Delta Scuti, Struve 2373 (Scutum); Struve 2296, Struve 2303, 59 Serpentis, Theta Serpentis (Serpens Cauda); Struve 2445, Struve 2455, Struve 2457, 4 Vupeculae, Struve 2521, Struve 2523, Struve 2540, Struve 2586, Otto Struve 388, Struve 2599 (Vulpecula)
Challenge binary star for August: Alvan Clark 11 (ADS 11324) (Serpens Cauda)
Fifty-five deep-sky objects for August: B142, B143, NGC 6709, NGC 6738, NGC 6741, NGC 6751, NGC 6755, NGC 6781, NGC 6804 (Aquila); NGC 6819, NGC 6826 (Cygnus); DoDz 9 (Hercules); M56, M57, NGC 6791 (Lyra); H20, M71 (Sagitta); B86, B87, B90, B92, B93, M8, M17, M18, M20, M21, M22, M23, M24, M25, M28, M54, M55, M69, M70, M75, NGC 6440, NGC 6445, NGC 6520, NGC 6818, NGC 6822 (Sagittarius); B110, B111, B113, Bas 1, M11, M26, NGC 6712 (Scutum); Cr 399, M27, NGC 6802, NGC 6834, NGC 6940, St 1 (Vulpecula)
Challenge deep-sky object for August: Abell 53 (Aquila)
All times are UT (subtract 4 hours and when appropriate 1 calendar day for EDT).
8/1 Lammas, a cross quarter day; Neptune is 5 degrees
north of the Moon at 3:00; asteroid 4 Vesta
is stationary in right ascension at 17:00
8/2 Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon at 12:00
8/3 Maximum lunar libration of 8.3 degrees occurs at
10:00; Venus is at its greatest heliocentric
latitude south (-3.4 degrees) at 11:00
8/4 Mars (longitude 154.6 degrees) and Uranus
(longitude 334.6 degrees) are at heliocentric
opposition at 8:00; asteroid 16 Psyche
(magnitude 9.3) is at opposition at 10:00
8/6 Neptune (magnitude 7.8) is at opposition at 3:00
8/7 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 35.8
degrees) at 2:43; Last Quarter Moon occurs at
22:01; Mars is at aphelion, a distance of
1.6661 astronomical units from the Sun, at
23:00
8/9 Mercury is stationary in right ascension at 5:00 -
retrograde (western) motion commences;
minimum lunar libration of 4.8 degrees occurs
at 22:00
8/10 Mars is 0.65 degrees north-northeast of the first
magnitude star Regulus at 5:00; the sun
enters Leo (longitude 137.97 degrees) at 7:00
8/11 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'29" from a
distance of 405,292 km, at 10:00; an outburst
of Perseid meteors of as many as a few
hundred per hour is predicted to occur at
20:54
8/12 The traditional peak of the Perseid meteor shower
(~60/hour) occurs at 11:00
8/13 Saturn is 5 degrees south of the Moon at 9:00;
the Moon is 1.8 degrees south of the first
magnitude star Pollux at 14:00; asteroid 1
Ceres (magnitude 8.6) is 4.3 degrees
northeast of asteroid 6 Hebe (magnitude 11.2)
at 18:00
8/14 The Moon is 3.4 degrees north-northeast of the
open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster) at
18:00
8/15 Maximum lunar libration of 7.3 degrees occurs at
23:00
8/16 New Moon (lunation 1010) occurs at 1:24; the Moon
is 4.1 degrees north-northeast of the first
magnitude star Regulus at 14:00; asteroid
4 Vesta (magnitude 6.5) is 0.2' north of the
fourth magnitude star 3 Ceti at approximately
20:07; Mars is 3.3 degrees south-southwest
of the Moon at 22:00
8/17 Mercury is 6 degrees south of Mars at 3:00; Venus
is at theoretical dichotomy (i.e., 50%
illuminated) at 11:00; Venus is at greatest
western elongation (46 degrees) at 19:00
8/18 Jupiter is 3 degrees south of the Moon at 5:00;
Mercury is 5.8 degrees south-southwest of Mars
at 20:00
8/19 Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) passes between two
moderately faint galaxies in Ursa Major, NGC
4036 and NGC 4041, tonight
8/20 Mercury is at greatest heliocentric latitude
south (-7.0 degrees) at 11:00; the Moon is 3.0
degrees north-northeast of the first
magnitude star Spica at 18:00
8/21 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude
214.3 degrees) at 12:12
8/22 Minimum lunar libration of 4.8 degrees occurs at
14:00
8/23 First Quarter Moon occurs at 10:12; Mercury is at
inferior conjunction (4.3 degrees south of the
Sun) at 21:00
8/24 The Moon is 1.6 degrees north of the first
magnitude star Antares
8/26 Mercury is 4.4 degrees southwest of Regulus at
20:00
8/27 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'44" from a
distance of 365,104 km, at 6:00; Uranus
(magnitude 5.7) is at opposition at 19:00
8/28 Neptune is 5 degrees north of the Moon at 9:00
8/29 Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon at 20:00
8/30 Full Moon, known as the Green Corn or Grain Moon
occurs at 2:22; maximum lunar libration of
7.3 degrees occurs at 7:00
8/31 Asteroid 3 Juno is stationary in right ascension
at 14:00; Pluto is stationary in right
ascension at 17:00 - direct or prograde
(eastward) motion resumes; Venus (magnitude -
4.2) is 1.9 degrees south of Saturn (magnitude
0.3) at 20:00
Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm
In early August Mercury can be seen with difficulty approximately 13 degrees to the lower right of Jupiter at dusk.
Brilliant Venus rises some 3.5 to 4 hours before the Sun this month. On August 9 the planet lies 5 degrees south of M35. Venus is at greatest western elongation on August 17 and is some 24" in apparent size at that time. Through telescopes or binoculars it appears to be half illuminated for a period of a few days. Venus spans only 21" by the end of August.
Mars shrinks to 3.5" in apparent size as it reaches aphelion in August. The situation is almost the exact opposite of that of August of last year when Mars was historically close to the Earth.
By month's end Jupiter sets about 45 minutes after the Sun. On the evening of August 17 Jupiter and the crescent Moon form a close pair.
Saturn rises 90 minutes before sunrise on August 1. Venus closes the gap with Saturn during the month and on August 31 the two are a mere 2 degrees apart.
Uranus (magnitude 5.7) can be found 0.5 degree north of Sigma Aquarii (magnitude 4.8). It is at opposition of August 27 and can be seen with the naked-eye from a dark site.
Neptune (magnitude 7.8) is situated about 0.5 degree north of Theta Capricorni (magnitude 4.1). It also reaches opposition in August.
Pluto returns to Ophiuchus for a short time this month.
This year's Perseid meteor shower may be an exceptionally good one on the mornings of August 11 and 12.
Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) and Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) are still readily visible through amateur instruments. Seventh magnitude Comet NEAT Q4 is above the bowl of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, while sixth magnitude Comet LINEAR K4 passes through Bootes and Coma Berenices and enters Virgo.
Comet C/2003 (Tabur), an eleventh magnitude comet, passes south of NGC 2841, a ninth magnitude galaxy in Ursa Major, on the nights of August 22 and 23.
Sixty binary and multiple stars for August: 5 Aquilae, Struve 2404, 11 Aquilae, Struve 2426, 15 Aquilae, Struve 2449, 23 Aquilae, Struve 2532, Pi Aquilae, 57 Aquilae (Aquila); Beta Cygni (Albireo), 16 Cygni, Delta Cygni, 17 Cygni (Cygnus); 41 & 40 Draconis, 39 Draconis, Struve 2348, Sigma Draconis, Struve 2573, Epsilon Draconis (Draco); 95 Herculis, 100 Herculis, Struve 2289, Struve 2411 (Hercules); Struve 2349, Struve 2372, Epsilon-1 & Epsilon-2 Lyrae (the Double-Double), Zeta-2 Lyrae, Beta Lyrae, Otto Struve 525, Struve 2470 & Struve 2474 (the Other Double-Double) (Lyra); 67 Ophiuchi, 69 Ophiuchi, 70 Ophiuchi, Struve 2276, 74 Ophiuchi (Ophiuchus); Mu Sagittarii, Eta Sagittarii, 21 Sagittarii, Zeta Sagittarii, H N 119, 52 Sagittarii, 54 Sagittarii (Sagittarius); Struve 2306, Delta Scuti, Struve 2373 (Scutum); Struve 2296, Struve 2303, 59 Serpentis, Theta Serpentis (Serpens Cauda); Struve 2445, Struve 2455, Struve 2457, 4 Vupeculae, Struve 2521, Struve 2523, Struve 2540, Struve 2586, Otto Struve 388, Struve 2599 (Vulpecula)
Challenge binary star for August: Alvan Clark 11 (ADS 11324) (Serpens Cauda)
Fifty-five deep-sky objects for August: B142, B143, NGC 6709, NGC 6738, NGC 6741, NGC 6751, NGC 6755, NGC 6781, NGC 6804 (Aquila); NGC 6819, NGC 6826 (Cygnus); DoDz 9 (Hercules); M56, M57, NGC 6791 (Lyra); H20, M71 (Sagitta); B86, B87, B90, B92, B93, M8, M17, M18, M20, M21, M22, M23, M24, M25, M28, M54, M55, M69, M70, M75, NGC 6440, NGC 6445, NGC 6520, NGC 6818, NGC 6822 (Sagittarius); B110, B111, B113, Bas 1, M11, M26, NGC 6712 (Scutum); Cr 399, M27, NGC 6802, NGC 6834, NGC 6940, St 1 (Vulpecula)
Challenge deep-sky object for August: Abell 53 (Aquila)