Scruton Sky at Night – August 2024

by Graham Dodds

Comets/Meteors – The ‘Perseid’ meteor shower will ‘peak’ around the 11 – 13th August. Look north-east, after the Moon has set (~11 pm). The display can be quite prolific as the dust from comet Swift-Tuttle burns up; the best views are after midnight.

Constellations – The summer ‘triangle’ continues to dominate: Vega in Lyra (The Lyre) is close to zenith, with Deneb, in Cygnus, to its east, and Altair, in Aquila (The Eagle), southward.

Planets – Saturn rises after 9 pm and on the 21st, the Moon will occult this beautiful planet. It is the first occultation, seen from the UK since 2007. In the morning of 27-28th, the crescent Moon will form a group with Jupiter and Mars.

The Moon – The new moon appears on the 4th. First quarter 🌓 is on the 12th and full 🌕 on the 19th. Last quarter Moon 🌗 occurs on the 26th. August’s Moon will be a Supermoon! (Sturgeon Moon in the USA).