Shropshire Sky at Night – August

What could be better than the sight of a shooting star (meteor), or a blazing fireball, streaking across a darkened sky, allowing you to witness one of nature’s wonders? The annual Perseid Meteor Shower peaks overnight August 12/13, which is a result of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, passing us by every 133 years, the last time being in 1992.

When comets move through the inner Solar System they lose some material due to heating which over time spread out along its orbit. When the orbit of the comet and the Earth cross over we get a named meteor shower.

This year the moon sets just after 10pm so we have very favourable conditions. At the peak (3am on the 13th) a dark sky site will reveal about 50-plus meteors per hour. However, even near villages and towns we could expect to spot about a dozen or so.

Wherever you observe from make sure that you have a comfortable observing position with a clear view of the constellation Andromeda. You would be very lucky to capture an image like the composite (note the inclusion of the Milky Way) provide by the renowned space artist David A Hardy, but please get clicking, sending your efforts to Shropshire Astronomical Society.

During August, both Jupiter and Saturn are at opposition meaning they, the Earth, and the Sun will be aligned. It's special because when celestial objects are directly opposite the sun, they appear brighter in the sky.

Saturn came into opposition on the 2nd and can be spotted low on a southern horizon while Jupiter is in opposition overnight of 19th and 20th and is easier to spot at an altitude of 15 degrees. With a pair of binoculars (10 x 50) or small telescope (3 or 4 inch) with care, you should be able to view both, the majestic rings of Saturn, and the cloud detail on the surface of Jupiter, including the Great Red Spot.

The Galilean moons of Jupiter are easy to spot and track but with a good star map you might be able to identify some of the 60-plus moons of Saturn with Titan being your best target. Mercury and Mars are too close to the horizon to observe, but with great care you might be able to identify Venus as it leads the setting Sun in the west.

This month, the ‘invisible’ new moon on the 8th is followed on the 22nd by the full moon. Since this is the third of four full moons in this season, it is known as a blue moon. This rare calendar event only happens once every few years, giving rise to the term, “once in a blue moon.” There are normally only three full moons in each season of the year. But since full moons occur every 29.53 days, occasionally a season will contain four full moons.

The extra full moon of the season is known as a blue moon.

Steve Szwajkun is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society