Southern Skywatch August 2022 edition is now out!

Evening sky on Monday August 15 as seen from Adelaide at 22:00 am ACST. Saturn is at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth. Saturn also forms a triangle with delta and gamma Capricornii. Jupiter is just above the horizon and is within binocular distance of the waning Moon. 

The insets are the telescopic views of Saturn and Jupiter at the same magnification at this time. 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time. 

The August edition of Southern Skywatch is now up (sorry about the delay, life happened). The planetary action is in the morning and evening skies with four bright planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury in the morning sky. Saturn is at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, Jupiter clims higher in the evening sky and Mercury is at its best in the evening this month. The asteroid Vesta also reaches opposition and unaided eye brightness.

August 1-3; Mars and Uranus less than 2 degrees apart (in same binocular field). August 4; Mercury and bright star Regulus close. August 5; First Quarter Moon. August 11; perigee Moon. August 12; Full Moon. August 12; Saturn and Full Moon close. August 15; Saturn at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth. August 15; the waning Moon close to Jupiter (1 degree). August 19; Last Quarter Moon. August 20; Mars close to waning moon. August 23; apogee Moon. August 23; Asteroid Vesta at opposition. August 26; the thin crescent Moon is beside Venus low in the twilight. August 27; New Moon. August 29; Mercury close to thin crescent Moon in evening twilight. August 30-31; Mars between Pleiades and the red star Aldebaran.

Mercury  is climbing higher in evening sky, and is at its best this month and until mid-September. It is low in the twilight half an hour after sunset in the first week of the month and get progressively higher. On August 4 it is close the bright star Regulus, It is furthest from the Sun on the 27th when Mercury is visible well after dark has truly fallen On August 29-30 the thin crescent Moon and Mercury are moderately close.

Venus continues to sink towards the horizon and by the end of the month Venus is lost in the twilight glow.

On the 26th Venus and the thin crescent Moon are close.

Mars is becoming brighter as it nears opposition, it is in an area devoid of bright stars so is readily identifiable. On August 22, Mars is 3° from the crescent Moon. The pair easily seen together in binoculars. On the 1 to 3rdst Mars and Uranus easily visible together in binoculars (closes on 1 August). On August 20th , Mars is 5 ° from the waning Moon. The pair just seen together in binoculars. From the 20th on Mars passes between the Pleiades and Hyades, an excellent morning sight, on the 30-31st Mars is directly between the Pleiades and the bright red star Aldebaran.

Jupiter climbs higher in the evening sky and is an good telescopic object in the late evening sky, although still best telescopically in the morning. On the 15th Jupiter is close to the waning Moon, with the pair in the same binocular field and Jupiter only 1° away.

Saturn is climbing higher in the evening sky but remains seen in the morning skies. Saturn is at opposition on the 15th, and is visible the whole night. Saturn will be high enough for good telescopic observation in the evening and early morning. Saturn forms a shallow triangle with delta and gamma Capricorn, becoming more elongated as the month wears on. On the 12th (morning 13th) the Full Moon is close to Saturn.

Moon: August 11; perigee Moon and August 26; apogee Moon