August may not be the very best month to observe the night sky in the country due to the greyness of the sky overhead and the fickleness of the rainfall, but those are not reasons to be discouraged, who knows, maybe we get lucky and we get to wish upon a meteor. This month we’ll have varied astronomical events to observe like meteor showers, planetary conjunction, planetary opposition and elongation. Observing all these astronomical events during this time of the year may be a “one in a blue moon” chance, but guess what? This month we’ll have an extra full moon (blue moon) to watch upon.
August 2 - Full Moon. This day marks the first full moon of the. This phase occurs at 03:27 UTC.
August 12 - Jupiter - Lunar Occultation. The crescent moon will pass in front of the planet Jupiter. The occultation will taje place at about 2:40 am to 3:22am in the morning of the 12th.
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| Image from stellarium |
August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids meteor shower is claimed to be one of the best meteor showers having up to 90 meteors per hour at its peak. Just look at the northeast to see the constellation Perseus, the meteor showers’ radiant point, after midnight. The shower is said to be coming from the dust remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttel.
August 14 – Conjunction. The crescent moon will be in a conjunction with the planet Venus early in the morning.
August 15, 16 – Mercury and Venus at Maximum Elongation. Mercury is at maximum western elongation at the morning of the 16th and Venus was at its maximum western elongation on the morning of the 15th. The view of the planet is at its best because the planets will be at their farthest from the Sun as seen from Earth.
August 21 – Grouping. Early in the evening of the 21st the moon, the planets Mars and Saturn, with the bright star Spica will be in a close grouping.
August 24 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue planet, Neptune, will be at its closest point from Earth, and it will be fully illuminated from the Sun, making it the best time to observe the distant planet. Using a telescope, it will look like a tiny blue dot, just point into the two innermost stars of the constellation Capricornous, Deneb Algiedi, and Nashira.
August 31 - Full Moon (Blue Moon). The date marks the rise of the second full moon or commonly called the blue moon. This phase occurs at 13:58 UTC. This event only happens once every few years, thus the term “once in a blue moon” was coined.
August 14 – Conjunction. The crescent moon will be in a conjunction with the planet Venus early in the morning.
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| Image from Stellarium |
August 21 – Grouping. Early in the evening of the 21st the moon, the planets Mars and Saturn, with the bright star Spica will be in a close grouping.
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Screenshot from stellarium.org:
August 1, 2012, 12:56 pm, Manila, Philippines
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August 24 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue planet, Neptune, will be at its closest point from Earth, and it will be fully illuminated from the Sun, making it the best time to observe the distant planet. Using a telescope, it will look like a tiny blue dot, just point into the two innermost stars of the constellation Capricornous, Deneb Algiedi, and Nashira.
August 31 - Full Moon (Blue Moon). The date marks the rise of the second full moon or commonly called the blue moon. This phase occurs at 13:58 UTC. This event only happens once every few years, thus the term “once in a blue moon” was coined.
Moon Phases, August 2012
Full Moon – August 2, 03:27
Last Quarter – August 9, 18:55
New Moon – August 17, 15:54
First Quarter – August 24, 13:54
Full Moon – August 31, 13:58 (blue moon)
Prepared by: Kristine Jane Atienza
Full Moon – August 2, 03:27
Last Quarter – August 9, 18:55
New Moon – August 17, 15:54
First Quarter – August 24, 13:54
Full Moon – August 31, 13:58 (blue moon)
Prepared by: Kristine Jane Atienza
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