Woking Planetarium

Read our August sky notes to find out what’s in the night sky this month!

Map

Constellations

These constellations are well placed in the evening this month, but many more can be seen. Check the star map for more.

Pegasus is well placed high in the southern sky during the evening this month. It lowers towards the west over the course of the night, before setting a little before dawn. At the beginning of the month, it appears in the eastern sky at sunset, so best views will be towards the end of the month, when it will reach its higher point due south earlier in the evening. Look for it by finding the asterism The Great Square of Pegasus.

Aquila, the Eagle, is best seen at the beginning of the month when it appears high in the south at sunset. It moves across the west sky to set in the early hours of the morning. Aquila contains the bright star Altair, one vertex of The Summer Triangle, and many dim clusters and nebulae, due to being located along the Milky Way.

Draco, the Dragon, is a circumpolar constellation, and so is visible all night. This month, it starts the night high in the north west and circles down towards the north during the night. Look for it by its distinctive hump shape, encompassing Polaris in the constellation of Ursa Minor.

Planets

Mercury is too close to the Sun to be seen this month. It reaches aphelion, its furthest point from the Sun, on the 23^rd. This effect is not visually apparent.

Venus is too close to the Sun to be seen this month. It will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 5^th, and reaches aphelion, its furthest point from the Sun, on the 30^th. This effect is not visually apparent.

Mars can be seen in the late evening and morning sky, rising around 23:10 BST at the beginning of the month and around 21:30 GMT by the end. It rises in the north eastern sky, moving up towards the south during the night, where it disappears at sunrise. Find it in the constellation of Gemini, moving towards Cancer by the end of the month. Best views will be just before dawn, when Mars is highest in the sky. It will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 23^rd.

Jupiter is visible for most of the night, as it rises in the evening and moves across the southern sky during the night. At the beginning of the month, it rises on the north eastern horizon around 21:30 BST, and at the end around 18:30 GMT. Best views will be just before dawn at the beginning of the month when Jupiter is at its highest in the south. Alternatively, it reaches its highest point earlier as the month goes on, so will also be be best viewed at around 03:00 GMT at the end of the month. Find it in the constellation of Taurus, around the bull’s horns. Jupiter enters retrograde motion on the 9^th, and will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 21^st.

Saturn appears at sunset low on the south eastern horizon. It moves across the south during the night, to set in the west in the early hours of the morning. Saturn stays low, but will reach its highest point due south around midnight at the beginning of the month, and around 20:30 GMT at the end. Find it in the constellation of Aquarius It will undergo lunar occultation on the 14^th.

Uranus is too faint to be seen with the naked eye, and requires binoculars or a telescope to see. It rises in the north east around 20:00 BST at the beginning of the month, and rises at sunset by the end of the month. Uranus then moves across the southern sky to disappear low in the west at sunrise. Best views will be when it reaches it highest point due south, around 04:15 BST at the beginning of the month and 01:10 GMT at the end of the month. Find it in the constellation of Taurus, a little down from the Pleiades.

Neptune is too faint to be seen with the naked eye, and requires binoculars or a telescope to see. It appears in the south east at sunset, moving across the southern sky to set in the west just before dawn at the beginning of the month, and around 03:00 GMT at the end of the month. Best views will be when it reaches its highest point due south, around midnight at the beginning of the month and around 21:30 GMT at the end. Find it between the constellations of Pisces and Cetus, on their right hand side. Neptune will undergo lunar occultation on the 15^th.

Meteor Showers

The background rate of meteors on any given night is about 4 per hour.

The October Camelopardalids reach their peak on the 5^th. The radiant (apparent origin point of the meteors) will be in the constellation of Draco. As this is a circumpolar constellation, meteors will be visible all night. Best views will be after dusk, as peak activity is expected around 18:00 BST.

The Draconids reach their peak on the 8^th. The radiant (apparent origin point of the meteors) will be in the constellation of Draco. As this is a circumpolar constellation, meteors will be visible all night. Best views will be after dusk, as peak activity is expected in the middle of the day, and Draco will be at its highest around 17:00 BST.

The Southern Taurids reach their peak on the 10^th. The radiant (apparent origin point of the meteors) will be in the constellation of Cetus. Meteors will be visible from 19:04 BST until dawn at 06:41 BST, when Cetus is above the horizon. Best views will be in the early hours of the morning, as Cetus reaches its highest point around 02:00 BST and peak activity is expected around 05:00 BST. You will be able to see about 3 meteors per hour.

The Orionids reach their peak on the 21^st. The radiant (apparent origin point of the meteors) will be in the constellation of Orion. Meteors will be visible from 21:53 BST until dawn at 06:59 BST, when Orion is above the horizon. Best views will be around 05:00 BST, when Orion reaches its highest point with peak activity expected around 07:00 BST. You will be able to see about 12 meteors per hour.

The δ-Aurigids (peak 11^th), ε-Geminids (peak 18^th) and Leonis Minorids (peak 24^th) will not produce easily visible displays.

Moon

Full Moon: 17^th

Last Quarter: 24^th

New Moon: 2^nd

First Quarter: 10^th

The Moon reaches apogee, its furthest point from the Earth on the 2^nd and the 29^th and perigee, its closest point, on the 17^th. This effect is not visually apparent.

The Moon will be at aphelion, its furthest point from the Sun, on the 15^th and perihelion, its closest point, on the 5^th. This effect is not visually apparent.

The Moon will have a close approach with the Pleiades (M45) on the 19^th. The pair will be visible between 20:16 BST and 06:39 BST, reaching their highest point around 02:57 BST.

Points of Interest

The Andromeda galaxy is well placed for observation on the 2^nd. It reaches its highest point around midnight and is visible all night. You will require binoculars to see it.

Asteroid 39 Laetitia will be at opposition on the 7^th. It is well placed for observation in the constellation of Cetus. It reaches its highest point around midnight and is visible between 22:02 and 04:14 BST. You will need at least a four-inch telescope to see it.

The Triangulum galaxy is well placed for observation on the 15^th. It reaches its highest point around midnight and is visible all night. You will require binoculars to see it.

Asteroid 19 Fortuna will be at opposition on the 17^th. It is well placed for observation in the constellation of Pisces. It reaches its highest point around midnight and is visible between 20:20 and 05:15 BST. You will need at least a four-inch telescope to see it.

The dwarf planet 136199 Eris will be at opposition on the 17^th. It is well placed for observation in the constellation of Cetus. It reaches its highest point around midnight and is visible between 21:36 and 04:33 BST. You will need at least a four-inch telescope to see it.

The Perseus double cluster is well placed for observation on the 27^th in the evening sky. It reaches its highest point around midnight and is visible between 19:06 BST and dawn. You will need binoculars to see it.

Asteroid 1036 Ganymed will be at opposition on the 27^th. It is well placed for observation in the constellation of Pegasus. It reaches its highest point around 20:56 BST and is visible between 18:04 and 01:56 BST. You will need at least a four-inch telescope to see it.

Visit Spot the Station to find out when the ISS will be visible from your location.

Last updated: 23^rd July.