What’s Up Above? August Stargazing

The dog days of summer arrive in August.  They are long, hot, sticky, muggy, uncomfortable, and miserable days.  A time when summer exerts full force on all creatures, great and small, plants, and psyches. They are sultry exhausting days where finding respite from “them barking dogs” drive behavior. The result of this oppressive heat? Drought, lethargy, fever, unexpected thunderstorms, bad luck, and mad dogs.

What to make of these August dog days? How did this all begin? Of course, as you know by now, the answers are found in the night sky above. In the stars that shimmer, the planets that wander, and summer’s Grand River of effervescent light flowing overhead. 

Travel with me to the southern hemisphere to the land of Egypt, and the time of pyramids, pharaohs, and prophecies. Then as it is today, the Dog Star, Sirius, reigns as one of the brightest stars in the night, if not “the” brightest star in the night. The ancient astronomers were keenly aware of Sirius; its prominence and predictable return. They watch it closely. They quickly learned that the rise and disappearance of the star Sirius in the early dawn and in the eastern sky, was a precursor of the annual flooding of the Nile River, and guided farmers when to plant. In the northern hemisphere, the Greeks believed the rise of Sirius ushered in heat and consequently, fever. The Romans continued to blame Sirius for the heat of the season and associated lethargy and diseases. All of this due to a bright star. 

Is the universe telling us to cool the jets, and relax? Maybe so. What if this dog-gone heat of August is intended to slow life down, relax, and look for relief?

If this is so, then here’s a suggestion. Find your respite from the day under the splendid cool canopy of our night sky. August 12^th is a day to mark on your calendar. That day begins with an early morning conjunction and ends with a late evening meteor shower. There are some celestial bookends for you. No matter the night you choose, get outside, and look up. Breathe in a deep sigh of unwinding. Be amazed, experience awe, and enjoy the special celestial events August has just for you.       

Our Galactic Center, The entire month of August

The Milky Way Galaxy, our island home in the expanding universe, is a barred spiral galaxy.  Imagine an ingot bar of gold, rectangle shape.  At each end of the bar is an arm that spirals as the bar turns.  In the middle and center of the ingot is the center of our galaxy: The Galactic Center of the Milky Way.  The center is visible with your naked eye, which is recommended.  That’s because observing it through a telescope or binoculars limits your view of its expansive size.      

To find our galactic center, get to a dark location where light pollution is limited, at best.  Wait till our view of the Orion Spur of the Milky Way is high in the sky, any time after 10pm local time.  The Orion Spur runs from the northern horizon, diagonally south across the celestial dome, and setting in the south southwest horizon – it is a hazy band of light formed from stars that your naked eye cannot resolve or distinguish. The galactic center is located near the border of the constellations, Sagittarius and Scorpius, residing just above the southwestern horizon.  It is a large, significantly brighter area in the night sky.  Seeing it takes little effort. Once you see it, you’ll understand why astronomers can’t use optical telescopes to penetrate that region. Yes, and you are correct, it is in the galactic center of the Milky Way that our own galaxy’s black hole was discovered in 2022, near the star, Sagittarius A*. The discovery of our super massive black hole happened by using radio and infrared telescopes, measuring the energy created from the extreme heat of cosmic dust and gas falling into our mysterious black hole. 

The Summer Triangle, The entire month of August

The Summer Triangle is what astronomers call an asterism. This means a group of stars of similar magnitude (brightness) form the pattern of its name, as in the Big Dipper, the Coathanger, and the Southern Cross. In our case, it is a scalene triangle pattern formed by the brightest stars in the constellations of Aquila (The Eagle), Cygnus (The Swan), and Lyra (The Lyre). Good news! You don’t need binoculars or a telescope to find summer again.    

The brightest of the triangle’s three stars is Vega, in the constellation of Lyra. Mythology tells us that the first lyre (harp) was made by Hermes and given to Apollo. When Orpheus played the lyre, rocks were charmed and it hushed the voices of the dangerous Sirens. 

The next brightest star of the triangle is Deneb, in the constellation Cygnus. Our mythological story continues and connects the Swan and the Lyre. The story goes, after Orpheus was murdered, he transformed into a swan and placed in the night sky next to his beloved lyre.

The Summer Triangle’s final star is Altair, in the constellation of Aquila.  The Eagle’s mythology is that it carried Zeus’ lightning bolts. For the Polynesian cultures of the Pacific, Aquila is central in their agriculture, and navigation of the seas.    

On any clear August night, get outside about an hour after sunset. Orient yourself to face south and look directly towards the southern horizon. Now, from the horizon lift your chin up and tilt your head way back till you are looking straight up above at the highest point in the sky. You will see a very bright star in your right eye (Vega), and a slightly dimmer star in your left (Deneb). Next, draw an imaginary line connecting the two and split it in half.  At that midpoint, keep looking up at the sky and slowly bring your chin and head back down towards the southern horizon. At twice the length of your imaginary line (drawn between Vega and Deneb) you’ll see the last star of the Summer Triangle, Altair.  Remember, an asterism requires most of the stars to be of similar magnitude. The stars will be the most luminous objects in that slice of the sky at that time of night.

The Full Sturgeon (Almost Supermoon) Full Moon, August 9^th

Come back with me to a time when cellphones, watches, clocks and sundials didn’t exist. For our ancient brethren, time was measured, marked, and described by the movement of objects in the night sky. None more prominent than our Moon. And it wasn’t just for the indigenous peoples of North America who connected a life sustaining event to the cycle of the Moon. For them, the August Full Moon brought them a season of abundance, in the form of sturgeon fish. For the Celtic traditions, the god of Lugh, the deity of light and agriculture is recognized through festival offerings of gratitude for the first fruits of the harvest. For the Polynesian and Hawaiian cultures this moon played a central role in the tide and fishing as August is associated with abundant fishing and planting. In the Hindu tradition this full moon is called Shravan Purnima and is sacred. It is a moon to begin spiritual observance, fasting, and pilgrimage. 

As background, the Moon’s orbit is elliptical with points in its orbit where one is farthest away (apogee) and one that’s closest to Earth (perigee). The average distance between the Earth and Moon is 238,000 miles. This month perigee occurred on the 7^th, at a distance of 222,121 miles from Earth; an almost supermoon. While it is not a supermoon this August, the Moon’s proximity to the Earth gives it an enhanced appearance making it look about 7% bigger and approximately 15% brighter than a typical full moon. This Sturgeon Full Moon’s full phase occurs at 1:54am local time.

How about getting together with some friends as the sun sets to watch the Sturgeon (almost supermoon) Full Moon rise and dominate the entire evening? With moonlight of course, no artificial light is necessary.  

All Together Now: An Early Morning Planetary Alignment, August 12^th  

Planets are special. They beckon us, they dance for us, and sometimes, they make a spectacle of themselves by lining up in an arc across the sky to show off their majestic character and differences. Of the six planets in this latest alignment, you’ll be able to see four of them with your naked-eye. From left (east) to right (west) they are Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune. (To see Neptune and Uranus you’ll need binoculars or a telescope.)

How to view the alignment. Get outside after 5:30am and orient yourself by looking towards the southern horizon. Now scan your view of the sky from the east to east-southeast, to south-southwest, to the western horizon. In the east you’ll see Mercury as a specific point of light that doesn’t twinkle sitting about one fists width above the horizon. On the other side of the sky one fist’s width above the western horizon is the waning Gibbous Moon. Go back to Mercury low on the horizon and look up and to the right at a 45-degree angle to easily see two brightest objects right next to one another. Say good morning to Venus and Jupiter. Venus the top of the pair is white and bold. Jupiter beneath, is reddish and bigger. Now, back to the Moon. To the left of the Moon floating in the pre-dawn sky you’ll see a tiny pale yellow, or golden-white greenish dot of light. Many see the god of harvest and time shining steady with a soft buttery glow. Now, if you happen to have a pair of binoculars or a telescope, scan between Saturn and the Moon and you’ll find Neptune. Look for a small, yet distinctly blue point of light. It will stand out from the surrounding whitish background stars. Pro tip: move your binoculars or telescope such that the Moon is placed outside of your field-of-view of Neptune. This will reduce some of the interference created by moonlight. And don’t dilly dally, the planets are visible till sunrise. You have about 90-minutes total to observe the entire alignment.   

The Granddaddy of Them All: The Perseid Meteor Shower Peak, August 12^th 

Most meteor showers come from comets. A comet is like a dirty dusty compressed snowball of ice. As its orbit brings it nearer to the Sun, it warms up and ice turns it into gas, releasing the dust into space. When the Earth, following its ceaseless orbit, enters the trail of particles left by a passing comet, some of the granular meteoroids burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. This is a meteor shower. Perseid meteoroids results from Comet 109/P Swift-Tuttle, discovered in July, 1862. As for the Perseid meteor shower, while it peaks on August 12th, the grand display is prime for viewing from the 11th – 13th.

To celebrate the Perseid, first reach wide and far to gather your friends and family together for the shower. It is more fun having multiple sets of eyes scanning the sky, and hearing the excitement when a meteor streaks by.

Second, get to a dark location away from urban light glare and sky glow. Find an unobstructed view of the north northeast horizon. Around 10:00pm local time, look for the constellation Cassiopeia having just risen above the north northeast horizon. This constellation looks like the capital letter “W '' and is just a bit squished. This is where the meteors will radiate. By midnight the namesake constellation of Perseus is in full view.

Third, give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness to achieve night vision allowing you to see the fainter meteors. Bring a chair, a blanket and dress warm. You’ll want to be comfortable since you’ll be outside for some time. This year is anticipated to be great with 150 meteors predicted per hour. Meteors don’t arrive at a steady rate.  In one hour you’ll see 10 meteors in 5 minutes; then, not another single meteor for 45 minutes. It’s that anticipation that makes meteor showers “edge of your seat” entertainment. Finally, the shower improves as the radiant point moves up higher in the night sky. The later you stay up, more meteors will reward you. Get out and take a peek at the Perseids! It’ll be the bomb!  

Saturn Returns, August 15^th

The majestic gas giant planet of the rings returns with all of its grandeur and sway this month. It is Saturn’s time to shine, at a reasonable time of night. It has been awhile since we viewed the Roman god of wealth, and father of Jupiter. Saturn, a planet without a defined surface, is visible from mid-month onward. It reaches opposition in September. (That’s when the Sun and Saturn are on opposite sides of the celestial sphere) and is visible from dusk to dawn on that date. 

Saturn is easy to locate rising over the east-southeastern horizon after 9:31pm, around 90-minutes after sunset. Look to the horizon, and search for a small point of steady non-twinkling light that is pale yellow, or a golden-white greenish dot of light. Many see the god of harvest and time as shining steady with a soft buttery glow.                                    

You may recall that Saturn’s rings are tiled at an edge-on apparent view from Earth until mid-November at approximately zero degrees. This month the rings are almost still invisible. There is some debate about the actual angle to the Earth. This means that even if you view Saturn through a pair of binoculars or a telescope, the rings are not visible. We’ll have to wait one more month before the advancing angles reveal one of the most spectacular inspiring experiences in the night sky; the rings of Saturn. But for now, it’s ring-less.

Whether you are like the ancient Romans and blame the star Sirius for your irritability and lethargy, or not, you deserve a break from the oppressive dog days of summer. Find relief from the day’s heat on a cool August night; get out, and get under a shimmering luminous sky full of pin pricks of light and orbit objects. Take in a deep breath or three with the sight of the first star. Ah, now you’re ready. Place your feet up and put those barking dog days of August to rest.

Wishing you the clearest of skies,