Here you will find useful observing information about the visible planets,
our Moon and other moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial.
Among these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout.
Animated images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects,
or apparent and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular features include plotting the monthly positions of the
visible planets using heliocentric coordinates; following moon phases; conjunctions; the sun's apparent motion and the Earth's real
motion along the ecliptic.
Scroll down for more web site information, resources, and a link to the previous month issue.
Click on this link to read the Previous Issue of Qué tal? in the Current Skies
August Sky Calendar | ||||
04. Last Quarter Moon 06. Waning Crescent Moon near Aldebaran Jupiter at Eastern Quadrature 07. Uranus Begins Retrograde Motion 08. Mercury at Inferior Conjunction 10. Moon at Ascending Node Moon at Perigee: 222,513 miles (358,100 km) Sun Does Enter the Astronomical Sign of Leo the Lion 11. Partial Solar Eclipse New Moon |
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13. Perseids Meteor Shower Peak Night Shower Waxing Crescent Moon near Venus 15. Waxing Crescent Moon near Spica 16. Waxing Crescent Moon near Jupiter Venus at Eastern Elongation 18. First Quarter Moon Mercury Ends Retrograde Motion 20. Waxing Gibbous Moon near Saturn |
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23. Moon at Apogee: 252,090 miles (405,700 km) Moon at Descending Node Waxing Gibbous Moon near Mars Sun Does Not Enter the astrological sign of Virgo the Harvest Maiden 26. Full Moon Mercury at Western Elongation 27. No Mars will not be as large as the Moon! 28. Mars Ends Retrograde Motion 31. Venus near Spica |
Name | August 05 | August 15 | August 25 | |
Mercury | 299o 35' | 334o 51' | 021o 28' | |
Venus | 260o 30' | 276o 20' | 292o 09' | |
Earth | 311o 35' | 321o 11' | 330o 48' | |
Mars | 308o 59' | 315o 14' | 321o 32' | |
Ceres | 179o 10' | 181o 45' | 184o 05' | |
Jupiter | 235o 03' | 235o 50' | 236o 36' | |
Saturn | 276o 58' | 2767sup>o 17' | 277o 35' | |
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