Backyard Universe: Want to see something cool? Here's what to look for in August skies

There have been lots of clouds and rain lately. It’s a good thing no compelling astronomical events have happened in the last couple of weeks. The clouds, typical of this time of year here in the southeast, would have likely obscured them.

But around mid-August we need to wish for clearer skies as a couple of high profile attractions play out. Both happen during the second half of the night.

Perseid meteors

This annual meteor shower is considered one of the best, if not the best meteor shower of the year. Meteors are small pieces of rock left in the orbital wake of comets. Several times a year Earth’s orbit and the orbit of a meteor stream cross and we have a meteor shower. The meteors appear as short flashes of moving light as the meteor burns up in our atmosphere some 60 miles high.

The peak of the 2024 Perseids will come early on the morning of Aug. 12. Rather than a sharp peak happening on one night, the Perseids slowly ramp up in the days before and after the predicted peak. During the peak, a single observer able to see the entire sky from a dark location far from artificial light may count around 100 meteors an hour.

The total meteors seen will be greatly reduced if you observe from a brightly illuminated city location, under partly cloudy skies or if you observe only before midnight. Staying up late on the night of Aug. 11 won’t show you nearly as many meteors as staying outside between midnight and dawn on the morning of Aug. 12.

A bright moon can also wash out fainter meteors. Fortunately, the moon will set locally around 11:39 p.m. on Sunday night, Aug. 11, leaving moonlight-free skies between then and dawn when then Perseid shower will be most active.

Speaking of washing out meteors, clouds can do that totally! August is a generally cloudy, hazy time of year here in the southeast so a cloudy night during the peak is certainly possible.  But remember, the Perseids are active on several nights before and after the peak so pick a clear night in that range of dates to watch for meteors. Your best luck will come between midnight and dawn on those nights too. Because it will be a summer night, don’t be surprised if mosquitoes outnumber meteors. Pack some bug spray.

The radiant of the Perseid meteor shower, where all of the Perseid meteors appear to come from, is in the constellation Perseus which will be rising over in the northeast in the late evening. The most meteor activity comes later when the radiant rides high in the sky. Although the radiant is where all of the Perseid meteors appear to be coming from the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.

Jupiter and Mars

Being outside watching meteors early on Aug. 12 will be good practice for observing a neat dawn planetary pairing two mornings later. If you’re outside on clear dawn mornings in early August you’ll notice two bright planets appearing to draw closer to one another each morning. They won’t be hard to find, just look for the brightest object in the eastern dawn sky. That bright object will be Jupiter hanging in the east at dawn.

In early August you’ll spot Mars close to the upper right of Jupiter. Mars will be much fainter than Jupiter and will appear reddish. The two planets will appear to grow closer to one another for the first two weeks in August. On the morning of Aug. 14 the two will appear closest together. You’ll be able to cover both of them easily with an outstretched fingertip.

On Aug. 14 both planets should fit within the field of view of a small telescope and to the unaided eye you may have trouble picking out fainter Mars so close to brilliant Jupiter.  Binoculars should give a great view.

After Aug. 14 the pair will rapidly separate with Jupiter appearing more to the upper right of Mars each morning. The two planets will appear below the moon on the morning of Aug. 26.

Jupiter and Mars won’t be the only planets to appear near the moon in August.

On the evening of Aug. 5 take your binoculars to an unobstructed western sky and try to spot the slim crescent moon in bright twilight right after sunset very low in the west. The brilliant planet Venus will appear very close below the moon.  Look east around 10 p.m. on the evening of Aug. 20 and you’ll see Saturn very close above the rising gibbous moon.

If you have a question about astronomy send it to Backyard Universe, P.O. Box 297 Stedman, NC 28391 or email [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Here's how to see the Perseid meteor shower in 2024