August 2022

This month the moon moves through the southernmost reaches of the ecliptic, passing nearby Spica on the 3rd then moving on to Scorpius and Sagittarius. This year, the most well-known meteor shower, the Perseids, will be outshown by the bright full moon. The best viewing opportunity will be early in the morning the 8th and 9th. The Perseids are the result of Earth’s passage through the dusty remnant of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Saturn reaches opposition on the 14th at magnitude 0.3 with its rings tilted toward Earth at 14 deg. Jupiter brightens in the east throughout the month and is best observed after midnight. Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) has moved past its closest approach to Earth and continues on toward perihelion on Dec. 19. It will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere through a telescope until mid-September when it moves southward out of sight.