Calendar of Events

July 28-29 – Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning of July 29. The waning crescent moon will not be too much of a problem this year. The skies should be dark enough for what could be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius but can appear anywhere in the sky.

August 1 – New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 03:12 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html

August 9 – Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 19.0 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html

August 12-13 – Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. The nearly full moon will block out most of the fainter meteors this year but the Perseids are so bright and numerous that it could still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html

August 15 – Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 12:30 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon.

Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html

August 30 – New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 10:37 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html

September 9 – Neptune at Opposition. The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Due to its extreme distance from Earth it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html