Astronomy Events Calendar
This guide shows you what to look out for in the night sky including meteor showers and conjunctions. Each event show the moon phase so you can see what the observing conditions will be like.
What to see in August 2008
Total Solar Eclipse
Friday 1st August 2008
Moon Phase
A total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes north-eastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. United kingdom will see around 40% of the Sun eclipsed. First contact will occur around 09:47 GMT with totality occurring at 10:21 GMT.
Perseids Meteor Shower
Tuesday 12th August 2008
This is the most famous of all meteor showers. It never fails to provide an impressive display and, due to its summertime appearance, it tends to provide the majority of meteors seen by non-astronomy enthusiasts. The show begins around 9:00 - 10:00pm local time 12th August, when Perseus rises in the northeast. As the night unfolds, Perseus climbs higher and the meteor rate will increase many-fold. "By 2am on morning of August 13th, dozens of Perseids may be flitting across the sky every hour." The crescendo comes before dawn when rates could exceed a meteor a minute.
Partial Lunar Eclipse
Saturday 16th August 2008
Moon Phase
The UK will see a partial lunar eclipse in August, nowhere near as good as that of February, however we should still see something (clouds permitting). Eclipse will start at around 18:23 GMT with greatest eclipse at 21:10 GMT.
Deep Space Objects in August
Full list of Messier Objects and Caldwell Catalogue.M6 - "The Butterfly Cluster" Open Cluster in Scorpius
M6 and M7 form the Butterfly Cluster, both Open Clusters are visible to the naked eye under dark skies. They can both be resolved into stars with the aid of binoculars. M7 is the larger and brighter of the pair.
Right Ascension: 17h 40.1m Declination: -32° 13m Magnitude: 4M7 - "The Ptolemy Cluster" Open Cluster in Scorpius
M6 and M7 form the Butterfly Cluster and Ptolemy Cluster, both Open Clusters are visible to the naked eye under dark skies. They can both be resolved into stars with the aid of binoculars. M7 is the larger and brighter of the pair.
Right Ascension: 17h 53.9m Declination: -34° 49m Magnitude: 4M8 - "The Lagoon Nebula" Open Cluster with Nebulosity in Sagittarius
This is a bright emission nebula in Sagittarius, easily visible to the naked eye in dark skies. In binoculars M8 is an oval cloud of light larger than the full moon with several bright stars embedded within it. A telescope makes this nebula larger and brighter.
Right Ascension: 18h 03.8m Declination: -24° 23m Magnitude: 5M9 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
Another small, relatively faint globular cluster in Ophiuchus. M9 is very similar to M107, only slightly brighter. Another tough, but possible binocular object.
Right Ascension: 17h 19.2m Declination: -18° 31m Magnitude: 9M10 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
M10 and M12 are two close proximity globular clusters. M10 is the fuzzier of the two and will resemble blue snowballs in binoculars. Large telescopes should be able to resolve stars, becoming brighter in the center.
Right Ascension: 16h 57.1m Declination: -04° 06m Magnitude: 8M12 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
M10 and M12 are close proximity globular clusters. Both are easy targets for binoculars, but M12 will be easily resolved while M10 is slightly more fuzzy in appearance.
Right Ascension: 16h 47.2m Declination: -01° 57m Magnitude: 8M19 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
M19 and M62 are two close proximity clusters which are not resolvable through small telescope, and will appear as round fuzzy patches brightening towards the center. M19 is slightly brighter than M62.
Right Ascension: 17h 02.6m Declination: -26° 16m Magnitude: 8M20 - "The Trifid Nebula" Open Cluster with Nebulosity in Sagittarius
This nebula is easily seen with binoculars and looks like a cloud of smoke around some bright stars. With a telescope the view appears much the same, although the three dust lanes that gives M20 its name are visible.
Right Ascension: 18h 02.6m Declination: -23° 02m Magnitude: 5M21 - Open Cluster in Sagittarius
This is a small bright open cluster in Sagittarius next to M20. Binoculars show a very small bright patch partially resolvable. Small telescopes easily resolve all of the clusters members.
Right Ascension: 18h 04.6m Declination: -22° 30m Magnitude: 7M23 - Open Cluster in Sagittarius
Through binoculars M23 is a large, hazy patch of light almost the size of the full moon. A telescope at low powers easily resolves this cluster among a rich background of other stars.
Right Ascension: 17h 56.8m Declination: -19° 01m Magnitude: 6M62 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
Another pair of globular clusters in Ophiuchus separated by about four degrees. Fairly easy to find in binoculars, they are smaller than M10 and M12 thus not quite as obvious. These clusters are not resolvable through small scopes, and appear as round fuzzy patches brightening towards the center. M19 is slightly brighter than M62.
Right Ascension: 17h 01.2m Declination: -30° 07m Magnitude: 8M107 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
A small, fairly faint globular cluster in Ophiuchus. It is a tough binocular object, appearing as a very small faint patch of light possibly requiring averted vision. In a telescope, M107 is a larger and brighter fuzzy patch of light than what can be seen in binoculars.
Right Ascension: 16h 32.5m Declination: -13° 03m Magnitude: 10
