What's up in the night sky this August? (2024)What 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.
Moon Phases in August 2024
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.
| August 2024 Moon Phases | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | ||||
| 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
| 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th |
| 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th |
| 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th | 29th | 30th | 31st |
The August full moon on the 19th will be a blue moon.
August 2024 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 17 to August 24. It peaks on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13.
Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
The Planets in August 2024
Mercury will pass 5°42' from Venus on August 7. Venus will be in the constellation Leo, and Mercury will be on the border between Leo and the minor constellation Sextans. The planets will be difficult to observe since they will be so near to the Sun.
Mars will pass just 0°18' from Jupiter on August 14. This magnificent couple can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation Taurus. This conjunction is the best of the year based on the brightness of both planets, the separation between them, and their position. Mars and Jupiter will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere from approximately midnight to morning, rising high above the eastern horizon. The planets will rise in the morning in the Southern Hemisphere, a few hours before sunrise.
August 2024 Deep Space Objects
Last month we looked at M92 and M13 in Hercules, this month we look 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 along the line 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. To resolve it into individual stars, you need an 8-inch or larger telescope.
M57 is the Ring Nebula is 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.
In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.
| # | Image | Common Name | Constellation | Coords | Direction | Mag | Size (arcmin) | Type | Star Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M3 NGC 5272 |  | Canes Venatici | 13h 42.2m RA 28° 23m Dec | W | 6.20 | 18 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M4 NGC 6121 | Crab Globular Cluster | Scorpius | 16h 23.6m RA -26° 32m Dec | S | 5.90 | 26 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M5 NGC 5904 |  | Rose Cluster | Serpens | 15h 18.6m RA 02° 05m Dec | SW | 6.65 | 23 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ |
| M6 NGC 6405 | The Butterfly Cluster | Scorpius | 17h 40.1m RA -32° 13m Dec | S | 4.20 | 25 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M7 NGC 6475 | The Ptolemy Cluster | Scorpius | 17h 53.9m RA -34° 49m Dec | S | 3.30 | 80 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M8 NGC 6523 | The Lagoon Nebula | Sagittarius | 18h 03.8m RA -24° 23m Dec | S | 6.00 | 90x40 | Emission Nebula | 🔍︎ | |
| M9 NGC 6333 | Ophiuchus | 17h 19.2m RA -18° 31m Dec | S | 8.42 | 12 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M10 NGC 6254 | Ophiuchus | 16h 57.1m RA -04° 06m Dec | S/SW | 6.40 | 20 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M11 NGC 6705 | The Wild Duck Cluster | Scutum | 18h 51.1m RA -06° 16m Dec | S/SW | 6.30 | 14 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M12 NGC 6218 | Gumball Globular | Ophiuchus | 16h 47.2m RA -01° 57m Dec | S | 7.68 | 16 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M13 NGC 6205 |  | The Hercules Cluster | Hercules | 16h 41.7m RA 36° 28m Dec | W | 5.80 | 20 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ |
| M14 NGC 6402 | Ophiuchus | 17h 37.6m RA -03° 15m Dec | SW | 7.60 | 11 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M15 NGC 7078 | Great Pegasus Cluster | Pegasus | 21h 30.0m RA 12° 10m Dec | SE | 6.20 | 18 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M16 NGC 6611 | Eagle Nebula | Serpens | 18h 18.8m RA -13° 47m Dec | S | 6.00 | 30 | Emission nebula with open cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M17 NGC 6618 | Omega Nebula | Sagittarius | 18h 20.8m RA -16° 11m Dec | S | 6.00 | 11 | Emission nebula | 🔍︎ | |
| M18 NGC 6613 | Black Swan Cluster | Sagittarius | 18h 19.9m RA -17° 08m Dec | S | 7.50 | 9 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M19 NGC 6273 | Ophiuchus | 17h 02.6m RA -26° 16m Dec | S | 7.47 | 16 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M20 NGC 6514 | The Trifid Nebula | Sagittarius | 18h 02.6m RA -23° 02m Dec | S/SW | 6.30 | 28 | Open Cluster with Nebulosity | 🔍︎ | |
| M21 NGC 6531 | Webb's Cross | Sagittarius | 18h 04.6m RA -22° 30m Dec | S/SW | 6.50 | 13 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M22 NGC 6656 | Great Sagittarius Cluster | Sagittarius | 18h 36.4m RA -29° 54m Dec | S | 5.10 | 32 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M23 NGC 6494 | Sagittarius | 17h 56.8m RA -19° 01m Dec | S | 6.90 | 27 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M24 IC 4715 | The Sagittarius Star Cloud | Sagittarius | 18h 16.9m RA -18° 29m Dec | S | 4.60 | 90 | Milky Way star cloud | 🔍︎ | |
| M25 IC 4725 | Sagittarius | 18h 31.6m RA -19° 15m Dec | S | 4.60 | 32 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M26 NGC 6694 | Scutum | 18h 45.2m RA -09° 24m Dec | S | 8.00 | 14 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M27 NGC 6853 |  | The Dumbbell Nebula | Vulpecula | 19h 59.6m RA 22° 43m Dec | SW | 7.50 | 8x5.6 | Planetary Nebula | 🔍︎ |
| M28 NGC 6626 | Sagittarius | 18h 24.5m RA -24° 52m Dec | S | 7.66 | 11 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M29 NGC 6913 |  | Cooling Tower Cluster | Cygnus | 20h 23.9m RA 38° 32m Dec | SE | 7.10 | 7 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ |
| M30 NGC 7099 | Jellyfish Cluster | Capricornus | 21h 40.4m RA -23° 11m Dec | S | 7.70 | 12 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M39 NGC 7092 |  | Cygnus | 21h 32.2m RA 48° 26m Dec | SW | 5.50 | 32 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M52 NGC 7654 | Summer Salt and Pepper Cluster | Cassiopeia | 23h 24.2m RA 61° 35m Dec | NE | 6.90 | 13 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M54 NGC 6715 | Sagittarius | 18h 55.1m RA -30° 29m Dec | S | 8.37 | 12 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M55 NGC 6809 | Summer Rose Star | Sagittarius | 19h 40.0m RA -30° 58m Dec | S | 7.42 | 19 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | |
| M56 NGC 6779 | Lyra | 19h 16.6m RA 30° 11m Dec | SW | 8.30 | 8 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M57 NGC 6720 | The Ring Nebula | Lyra | 18h 53.6m RA 33° 02m Dec | SW | 8.80 | 3.83 | Planetary Nebula | 🔍︎ | |
| M69 NGC 6637 | Sagittarius | 18h 34.4m RA -32° 21m Dec | S | 8.31 | 9.8 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M70 NGC 6681 | Sagittarius | 18h 43.2m RA -32° 18m Dec | S | 9.06 | 8 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M71 NGC 6838 |  | Angelfish Cluster (Arrowhead Cluster) | Sagitta | 19h 53.8m RA 18° 47m Dec | Z | 6.10 | 7.2 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ |
| M72 NGC 6981 | Aquarius | 20h 53.5m RA -12° 32m Dec | S | 9.35 | 6.6 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M73 NGC 6994 | Aquarius | 20h 58.9m RA -12° 38m Dec | S | 9.00 | 2.8 | Asterism | 🔍︎ | ||
| M75 NGC 6864 | Sagittarius | 20h 06.1m RA -21° 55m Dec | S | 9.18 | 6.8 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M92 NGC 6341 | Hercules | 17h 17.1m RA 43° 08m Dec | Z | 6.30 | 14 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ |
