Below is a list of astronomical events happening throughout the week.
Date | Event |
---|---|
August 7 | Full Moon |
August 9 | Neptune 0.9°N of Moon |
August 12 | Mercury Stationary |
August 12 | Perseid Meteor Shower Peak |
The Moon will be full Monday evening and will begin to wane back down to a New Moon. The New Moon will occur on August 21 and will cover the Sun in what will be an amazing eclipse.
A couple days later Neptune will be in conjunction with the Moon. It will likely be difficult to see as the light from a strong waning gibbous Moon will hinder a good view through a telescope.
The big event this week will be the Perseid Meteor Shower. The best way for a novice to locate the radiant is to start by finding Cassiopeia. This is the 'W' shaped constellation currently in the Northeastern sky. Look underneath the westernmost bar of the 'W'. This is where the meteors will seem to come from. The image below circles this location.
Perseid Radiant |
If you adapt to the darkness you will be able to see the double cluster just above the radiant point. Also, just to the East of Cassiopeia you might be able to catch the Andromeda Galaxy with your naked eye! What great sights! The northern sky is typically off limits to those who live in southern Calgary!
I hope you are prepared for the solar eclipse on August 21! Please send me a message if you need some eclipse glasses!
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