August 2023 Night Sky Astronomy TargetsWhat to see in the night sky during August including Moon phases, supermoon, planet guide, the Perseid meteor shower and deeps space objects M56 and M57.
August Moon Phases
August's full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the 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.
Full Moon and New Moon for August 2023
August 2023 Last QuarterThu 1st Jan
August 2023 Full MoonWed 2nd Aug
August 2023 New MoonWed 16th Aug
August 2023 First QuarterThu 24th Aug
August 1st is the first of two supermoons in August, and the second is on August 30th, also known as a blue moon. A blue moon is a second full moon in a month, quite a rare event.
August Planets
Mars, Venus and Jupiter are all bright morning planets.
Saturn reaches opposition on August 27th, meaning it is directly opposite the sun, making it its brightest and best viewing for the year. Saturn will be visible the entire night, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise.
On the 9th, there will be an early morning grouping of Jupiter, the crescent moon and the Pleiades.
August Meteor Showers
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 17th to August 24th. It peaks this year on the night of August 12th and the morning of August 13th.
This year, the moon is a waning crescent and won't interfere with viewing, making this meteor shower the year's highlight.
The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus but can appear anywhere in the sky.
August Deep Space Objects
Last month, we looked at M92 and M13 in Hercules; this month, we looked at two in Lyra, often overlooked due to their proximity to Hercules. M56 is a globular cluster in Lyra, and M57 is a planetary nebula.
Messier 56 is relatively easy to find because it lies roughly halfway from Albireo (Beta Cygni) to Sulafat (Gamma Lyrae). The cluster can be a challenge in binoculars because it is quite dim and does not have a bright core. In large binoculars, it appears as a fuzzy patch or an out-of-focus star. You need an 8-inch or larger telescope to resolve it into individual stars.
M57 is the Ring Nebula, a planetary nebula located in Lyra. The nebula cannot be resolved in small binoculars and is best seen in 8-inch and larger telescopes. Even smaller telescopes will reveal the nebula's ring shape, while medium-sized instruments will also show its interior hole.
