The major sky action this month happens in the darkness before dawn. The most popular of the annual meteor showers, the Perseids, is anticipated to peak just after midnight on the 13th. The New Moon occurs at the same time, so moonlight won’t blot out fainter meteors. About 60 meteors per hour are expected to be viewable at the peak. You might also see some Perseid meteors a few nights before and after the peak date. To learn more about this meteor shower and our Perseid Observing Event read information below.

A total lunar eclipse takes place in the pre-dawn hours of the 28th. The partial phase begins at 3:51 am Central daylight time, when you should be able to detect the Earth’s shadow creeping across the face of the Moon. Totality begins about an hour later, at 4:52 am, and ends about 6:22 am. However, the Moon sets at 6:17 am local time, and so will touch the west-southwest horizon still totally eclipsed. Observers west of the Rocky Mountains get to see the Moon emerge from the Earth’s shadow as well.

About a half-hour before sunrise the first week of the month, the planet Mercury can be seen above the east-northeast horizon. It’s fairly bright, but by the morning of the 8th, the Sun’s glare blots it out.

Less bright but higher in the pre-dawn sky this month is the planet Mars. It rises in the east-northeast around midnight local time, and is high in the southeast sky at sunrise.

The planet Venus, which has dominated evening twilight the past few months, is too close to the setting Sun to be readily visible. It re-emerges in the morning skies the last four or five days of the month, low above the eastern horizon.

The planet Saturn, which was so close to brilliant Venus last month, is a little higher in the western sky after sunset, but it’s too dim and too close to the Sun this month to be easily seen.

The planet Jupiter remains the primary bright feature of the evening sky this month. It’s about 25 degrees high in the south at evening twilight. It sets in the southwest about an hour after midnight at the start of the month, about a half-hour before midnight by month’s end. The Last Quarter is on the 5th. The New Moon is on the 12th. The First Quarter is on the 20th, and the Full Moon is on the 28th.

To learn more astronomy news, download the “Adler Night and Day” podcast.

The debris that makes up meteor showers comes from periodic comets, or comets that orbit the Sun. When a comet hurtles around the Sun, it leaves a trail of material in its wake. Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through the debris trail left by a comet. The comet debris that the Perseid meteor shower comes from is comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Comet Swift-Tuttle was discovered on July 16, 1862 by Lewis Swift and then independently by Horave Parnell Tuttle on the 19th of July 1862. However, it is now known to be the same as Comet Kegler of 1737 and appearances have been identified as far back as 69 B.C. Comet Swift-Tuttle was last seen in 1992 and will not be in our vicinity again until 2126!

If you’re in the area and would like to get a sneak-peak and some tips to viewing the Perseids and sign up for our Meteor shower star party at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL!

To view the Perseids, look to the Northeast and locate the constellation Perseus. If you need help locating Perseus, download episode 7 of Adler Night and Day. The Perseid meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus.

   Rise Set      Rise Set      Rise Set      Rise Set
dd hhmm hhmm  dd hhmm hhmm  dd hhmm hhmm  dd hhmm hhmm
01 0444 1909  08 0451 1901  15 0459 1851  22 0506 1841
02 0445 1908  09 0452 1859  16 0500 1850  23 0507 1839
03 0446 1907  10 0453 1858  17 0501 1848  24 0508 1838
04 0447 1906  11 0454 1857  18 0502 1847  25 0509 1836
05 0448 1904  12 0455 1855  19 0503 1845  26 0510 1834
06 0449 1903  13 0456 1854  20 0504 1844  27 0511 1833
07 0450 1902  14 0458 1853  21 0505 1842  28 0512 1831
                                          29 0513 1830
                                          30 0514 1828
                                          31 0515 1826