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.Events .Moon .Planets .Major Events .Minor Planets, NEOs .Comets .Shooting Stars .Occultations .Sun .check more! (occultations observers are advised to check in 'Events', and to turn to such dedicated sites like the I.O.T.A). don't forget to check the weather! For the US: the NOAA . color codes: Wwd worldwide, UsA USA-Americas, EuA Europe-Africa, AsP Asia-Pacific, Chk Check for Your Zone. check the site's concept and the instructions of use
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color codes: Wwd worldwide, UsA USA-Americas, EuA Europe-Africa, AsP Asia-Pacific, Chk Check for Your Zone. check the site's concept and the instructions of use
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Events Home Page.Events Seen All Month Long .Ephemerides Proper
(data from the former yearly ephemerides generator at Fred Espenak's NASA's eclipse website; miscellaneous data with the 'Astronomical Phenomena for The Year 2017,' a joint work by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the U.S. Naval Observatory; to be found at the latter's site; all time UT except otherwise stated)
Wwd Jupiter is passing this month close to 2.8th-magnitude star Zubenelgenubi of Libra, the Scales. Fine show!
 | Jupiter close to 2.8th-mag. Zubenelgenubi! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
Wwd The northern hemisphere Great Winter Sky is ornating dawn worldwide this month. Fine visual and photographic opportunities. Moon may come to add further!
 | The bright stars of the northern hemisphere Great Winter Sky are ornating dawn in August worldwide! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
Wwd Fine stars of the southern hemisphere skies are ornating the whole South of the Tropics by twilight. Fine viewing and photographic opportunities as Moon may come to add!
 | Fine stars of the southern hemisphere skies are ornating the whole South of the Tropics by twilight picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
1 Wwd The Perseids, one of the most important meteor showers of the year, are usually active Jul. 17-Aug. 24 with their peak usually next month on Aug. 11-12. Perseids are one of the year's most important meteor shower more at the date of the peak
4 Wwd There is a occultation of minor planet Juno today by Moon! check more at Occultations; check more too at such sites like "The International Occultation Timing Association" (I.O.T.A.)
6 Wwd There is a occultation of Aldebaran, the bright star to constellation Taurus, the Bull today by Moon! check more at Occultations; check more too at such sites like "The International Occultation Timing Association" (I.O.T.A.)
8 Wwd Moon reaches a northernmost declination at 22:33 UT
10 Wwd Moon is at its perigee at 18:05 UT (distances non available) as it also is at a ascending node at 13:40 UT
11 (1) Wwd The last solar eclipse in 2018 -- and last major astronomical event in 2018 -- occurs today, as it is a partial solar eclipse again, the partial solar eclipse of August 11th, 2018. check more
11 (2) Wwd Perseids shooting stars usually are peaking on Aug. 11-12 more back
14 Wwd First crescent, at all latitudes, is seen close to Venus in twilight, a fine show!
 | Moon close to Venus in twilight! A fine show. picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
17 EuA AsP First quartered Moon, by all latitudes, is finely close to Jupiter which is close to Zubenelgenubi, a star of Libra, the Scales! The show is available since twilight in the northern hemisphere
 | Moon close to Jupiter, which itself is close to Zubenelgenubi, a star of Libra, the Scales! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
20 UsA First quartered Moon, at all latitudes, is close to Saturn tonight as vistas of the Milky Way are in the neighbourhood!
21 EuA AsP First quartered Moon, at all latitudes, is close to Saturn tonight as vistas of the Milky Way are in the neighbourhood!
 | Moon close to Saturn with the fields of the Milky Way in the scenery! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
22 Wwd Moon reaches a southernmost declination at 02:58 UT
23 EuA AsP Waxing gibbous Moon, by all latitudes, is close to Mars tonight!
23 (2) Wwd Moon is at its apogee at 11:23 UT (distances non available)
24 Wwd Moon is at a descending node at 04:51 UT
25 Wwd Alpha Aurigids are usually active Aug. 25-Sept. 5-8 with their peak usually on Sep. 1. more
Occultations observers are advised to turn to such dedicated sites like the I.O.T.A as they may also check below at our Occultation section
Moon Home PageLast Quarter is on August 4th, at 18:18 UT
New Moon is on August 11th, at 09:58 UT
First Quarter is on August 18th, at 07:49 UT
Full Moon is on August 26th, at 11:56 UT
(source: NASA Reference Publication 1349, Twelve Year Planetary Ephemeris: 1995 - 2006 by Fred Espenak)
Planets Home PageMercury in August is reaching both a inferior conjunction -- on Aug. 9 by 01:59 -- and a greatest western elongation -- on Aug. 26 -- by 19:59. After it be mostly unvisible by early month, the swift planet will climb in the sky like a morning star. The show is remarkably null worldwide except maybe at the Tropics where it's feeble
Venus is reaching a greatest eastern elongation on August 17th, 2018 by 15:59. Venus keeps a fine evening star worldwide, albeit low in the northern hemisphere
 | Venus a high evening star in the southern hemisphere! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
Mars Mars Observation Campaign! Still At its Best! reached its perihelic opposition last July 27th and the Red Planet keeps at its best! Mars in the northern hemisphere is between southeast and South by 10:30 p.m. local time. About the same but much more high at the Tropics as it is remarkably close to the zenith in the southern hemisphere. A Mars Observation Campaign is unfolding 2018-2019 as it constitutes a remarkable, perihelic opposition, with Mars nearest to Earth at the same time it is nearest to the Sun on its orbit! Mars will reach a 24.2" of apparent diameter at its best as the observation campaign will span from when the Red Planet is reaching, then leaving 6" of apparent diameter! Don't miss those occasions of observing Mars! check more at our Mars Observation Campaign 2018-2019 page
 | Mars is few after its year's best! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Celestia |
Jupiter is now low southwest in the northern hemisphere by 10:30 p.m. local time as it is barely higher by that time at the Tropics. Jupiter, in the southern hemisphere, is West and still relatively high. Jupiter constitutes a fine evening star in the northern hemisphere
 | Fine views in twilight in the northern hemisphere! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
Saturn keeps well seen, about due South in the northern hemisphere by 10:30 p.m. local time. It is much high, southwest by that time at the Tropics, and about the zenith in the southern hemisphere. A ring maximum aperture had been reached in 2017
 | Mars, Pluto, and Saturn remarkably close to the zenith in the southern hemisphere! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium |
Uranus now is rising by 11:20 p.m. local time in the northern hemisphere, 11:00 p.m. local time at the Tropics, and 11:30 p.m. in the southern hemisphere
Neptune is one month ahead of it's year best. Neptune now is rising by 9:30 p.m. local time in the northern hemisphere as, by 10:30 p.m. local time, it's already by 40 degree of altitude at the Tropics and higher still in the southern hemisphere
Pluto Faraway World Still At its Best! keeps at it's year's best as it's before South in the northern hemisphere by 10:30 p.m. local time. The faraway world is much high, South, at the Tropics and remarkably close to the zenith in the southern hemisphere. Pluto in 2018 is reaching a rare 'special' opposition as the latter will occur because the planet will reach its orbit's line of node. (according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) since 2006, Pluto is not considered a planet anymore, but categorized like a dwarf planet instead along with Ceres, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea, and the prototype of a new category of 'trans-Neptunian', 'Pluto-class' objects)
Major Events Home PageThe Partial Solar Eclipse of August 11th, 2018
The Partial Solar Eclipse of August 11th, 2018That last solar eclipse in 2018 is a partial solar eclipse again, the partial solar eclipse of August 11th, 2018. That partial eclipse will be moving from West to East since Canada's northern territories to the limits of eastern Siberia and from Newfoundland to most of China. The greatest, by 09:46:19.0 UT, has the pecularity of occurring on the day/night terminator. check our page dedicated to that event
| CAUTION! OBSERVING A SUN ECLIPSE IS DANGEROUS AND MAY CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE EYE DAMAGE, UP TO BLINDNESS, ANNULAR AND PARTIAL ECLIPSES INCLUDED! Observing a Sun eclipse necessitates DEDICATED SAFE TECHNIQUES! |
Minor Planets, NEOs Home Page Minor PlanetsMinor planets are those biggest asteroids in the Asteroid Belt which may be easily observed by amateurs from the Earth, namely Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta (due to the new categorization by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) by 2006, Ceres belongs to the 5 dwarf planets in the solar system with Pluto, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea). check data and charts at our section Minor Planets on the yearly Calendar page as our tutorial 'Asteroids and Asteroid Hunting' is of help too. Any remarkable event linked to a minor planet may have a notice here below
Nearest NEOsSome small asteroids dubbed Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are regularly making close approaches at Earth. People interested in such close approaches may obtain recent and upcoming data at NASA site Near-Earth Object Program (their section "Close Approaches"). Date, miss distance in AU or Lunar Distance (LD), estimated diameter, and relative velocity are available. For further observational purposes, check at the Near-Earth Object Program ephemeris Generator. For more about NEOs see tutorial "
Comets Home PageOnce every time, the solar system treats us with a remarkable comet, a eery view spanning up to thirty degrees of sky! Most of the time however comets are the domain of dedicated observers as mostly weak and, at the most, hovering at the limit of the naked-eye visibility. A good site to get information about current such comets is the British Astronomical Association Comet Section page or also the Weekly Information about Bright Comets page (which often points to comets close to the visual magnitude). Our 'Comets and Comet Hunting' tutorial will also be helpful. Remarkable comets otherwise usually will be presented below!
Shooting Stars Home Page->note: shooting stars afficionados will be aware of checking Moon at the dates of the showers
for more about the meteor showers of this month, for possible other meteor showers for this month, and for more about shooting stars, generally, see our tutorial "Shooting Stars"
Occultations Home PageEach month, Moon occults some relatively bright stars, that is the Moon, beginning either with its bright or its dark visible face, is passing in front of a star. This is called an occultation. The Pleiades, on the other hand, due to their position near the eclipic, are often occulted by Moon too. Some planets, at last, along the year, may be occulted by Moon or they themselves, or their satellites, may be seen too occulting a star. The asteroids too may occult stars. Yearly lists of such phenomenons are to be found at Sky & Telescope/SkyTonight.com, either in their newsstand issues or at their site, as a list of occultations of most brilliant stars, the planets and the Pleiades are available at the I.O.T.A site (I.O.T.A. stands for "The International Occultation Timing Association"). Most notable occultations are signaled below
Minor planet Juno back is occulted by Moon on Aug. 4th, 2018 by 23:00 UT! The show is available for E. Europe, W. Russia, Scandinavia, N.E. Greenland, extreme northern Canada. check more at such sites like "The International Occultation Timing Association" (I.O.T.A.)
Aldebaran back the bright star to constellation Taurus, the Bull is occulted by Moon on Aug. 6th, 2018 by 19:00 UT! The show is available for Mongolia, Central Russia, Svalbard, most of Greenland, northernmost Canada. check more at such sites like "The International Occultation Timing Association" (I.O.T.A.)
check on this site for more about occultations, theoretically
Sun Home Page| CAUTION! OBSERVING THE SUN IS DANGEROUS AND REQUIRES DEDICATED SAFE TECHNIQUES! |
