Perseids, Cygnus The Swan, Veil Nebula, Planet Parade – What To Watch In The August Sky And When

The August sky will be full of astronomical marvels, each of them a sight to behold. These include the Perseids, Cygnus the swan, the Pleiades, and a planet parade in the evening sky. 

(Clockwise from left) Cygnus Constellation, Perseid Meteors, Veil Nebula. In the month of August, Saturn could be seen in the morning sky. If one looks in the east at around 9:30 am IST, they can see a steady, yellowish point of light.

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The August sky will be full of astronomical marvels, each of them a sight to behold. These include the Perseids, Cygnus the swan, the Pleiades, and a planet parade in the evening sky. 

These celestial wonders will be a treat to the eyes of those who live under clear skies. 

Here is the complete list of cosmic objects one can see in the August sky.

Evening Planet Parade

There will be a parade of planets in the evening sky in the month of August. Venus and Saturn will be moving away from each other and be seen on opposite sides of the sky. There will be a close conjunction of Mars and the ice giant planet Uranus. 

The ice giant cannot be seen without the naked eye, and a self-guided telescope or a pair of binoculars will be necessary, according to NASA. 

Uranus And Mars Come Close

The tiny, bluish disk of Uranus will be seen northwest of the Red Planet in the evening sky on August 1. Both Uranus and Mars will fit within the same field of view through binoculars.

On August 15, the Moon can be spotted at only a finger's width from Jupiter. Using a pair of binoculars, one can also spot Jupiter's four largest Moons in the evening sky. 

Moon, Mars And Pleiades 

The Earth's Moon will move eastwards, and come near Mars on August 19. One can spot the pair using a pair of binoculars. The Moon and Mars will also appear super close to the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. 

Saturn In Morning Sky

In the month of August, Saturn could be seen in the morning sky. If one looks in the east at around 9:30 am IST, they can see a steady, yellowish point of light. The Ringed Planet will rise a bit earlier each morning over the course of the month. 

According to NASA, Saturn is ‘in opposition’ in August. A planet is said to be ‘in opposition’ when it finds itself directly between the Sun and another planet. This means that the Ringed Planet is directly on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. During the month of August, Saturn appears its biggest and brightest for the year. 

Jupiter will start rising at around 9:30 am by the end of the month, and will join Saturn.

Jupiter will be seen both as an early evening object appearing in the west, and an early morning object, appearing in the east. 

Perseid Meteors

The Perseid meteors peak during mid-August. They are considered the best meteor shower of the year, and are very bright and fast meteors. As they streak through Earth's atmosphere, they leave long "wakes" of light and colour behind them. This year, the Perseids will peak around August 12. 

For people living in North America, the bright Perseids may be seen in the skies between midnight and dawn on August 13. This month, the full Moon will occur on August 12, and the glare may cause the Perseids to be washed out. 

The occasional early Perseid may also be seen streaking across the sky a week before the meteor shower's peak. 

Cygnus Constellation Or The Swan

The constellation Cygnus, also called the Swan, can be seen high in the eastern sky after dark in August. The constellation has an overall shape like a T or cross, and contains a star pattern which is sometimes called "the Northern Cross".

The brightest star of the Cygnus constellation is Deneb. It represents the swan's tail, and is the northernmost of the three stars in the Summer Triangle. Vega, Deneb, and Altair together form the Summer Triangle. 

Deneb is visible even in bright city skies. The double star Albireo can be seen on the other end of Cygnus from Deneb. The Albireo is considered a stargazing favourite. This is because it shows beautiful blue and gold colours through even the most modest telescope. 

A Show Of Nebulae And Star Clusters

Since Cygnus lies along the plane of the Milky Way, it is dense with glittering stars and dark dust clouds. Stargazers can also spot the North America Nebula, the Veil Nebula, and the Blinking Planetary Nebula. Other astronomical wonders that can be spotted in the August sky include the open star clusters M29 and M39. 

According to NASA, August is a great time to discover the constellation Cygnus, "the graceful swan soaring across the dusty lanes of the Milky Way".