What’s Up in the Night Sky – August 2026

from In-The-Sky.org

Moon Phases

Last Quarter – August 5

New Moon – August 12

First Quarter – August 19

Full – August 27 – The Sturgeon Moon

Close Encounters

August 2 (morning) – Mercury is at greatest separation from the Sun in the predawn sky, shining at magnitude 0. It is only 16° above the horizon at sunrise.

August 3 (morning) – The 20-day-old Moon and Saturn pass within 6° of each other in the post-Midnight hours.

August 5 (morning) – Mercury is at its highest altitude in the morning sky.

August 7 (morning) – The waning crescent Moon visits the Pleiades in the early morning sky, separated by about 1°.

August 9 (morning) – The thin crescent Moon and Mars will pass about 4° from each other in the predawn sky.

August 12 – A total solar eclipse is visible from eastern Greenland and Spain. A partial solar eclipse will be visible for the New England area of the US. Visible in the early afternoon.

August 12 (evening) – Venus reaches dichotomy (last quarter phase). A good telescope or binoculars can see the Venusian disk cut in half.

August 12/13 (all night) – The Perseid Meteor Shower.  See Major Meteor Shower section below for details.

August 14 (all night) – The globular cluster Messier 15 in Pegasus is visible all night.

August 15 (all night) – The globular cluster Messier 2 in Aquarius is visible all night.

August 16 (evening) – The 4-day-old Moon and Venus are in conjunction 2° from each other in the western sky at sunset.

August 27 – Mercury is at superior solar conjunction, ending the current evening apparition and beginning the upcoming morning apparition.

August 27/28 – Deep partial lunar eclipse for our hemisphere. The Moon passes through Earth’s shadow from 8:25pm on the 27^th until 2:02am on the 28^th. Maximum eclipse is at 11:14pm, when 93% of the lunar disk is in shadow.

August 31 (early morning) – The 19-day-old Moon and Saturn pass about 7° from each other.

Major Meteor Showers – from https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/

The Perseid meteor shower starts activity around July 17 each year and will peak the night of August 12-13. The Moon will be new on August 12 (Wednesday night) so no interference from the Moon as we look for the normal zenithal hourly rates of 30-50.

Planet Watch for August 15, 2026

Mercury is soon to pass behind the Sun (superior conjunction) and is a difficult target in the morning, separated from the Sun by 8°.

Venus is visible in the western sky shining at magnitude -4.3. It sets about 1h 45m after the Sun.

Mars rises above the eastern horizon around 2:05am.  The magnitude 1.3 spark is visible until the Sun washes out the sky around 5:25am.

Jupiter recently passed behind the Sun in superior conjunction is no higher than 7° above the horizon at daybreak.

Saturn is a morning object, becoming accessible around 11pm, reaches maximum altitude in the south around 4:20am, and fades from view as the Sun rises around 5:40am. It brightens to magnitude 0.4 in Pisces.

Uranus rises in the east around 12:20am and reaches an altitude of about 52° before the eastern horizon brightens with the arrival of dawn. Uranus shines at magnitude 5.7 in Taurus.

Neptune becomes accessible around 11:30pm reaches maximum altitude in the south at 3:40am. Neptune shines faintly a magnitude 7.8 in Pisces.

Join the River Bend Astronomy Club on Monday, July 20, 2026 as we return to the Highland (IL) Northtown Shopping Center from 7-10pm. Check out the first quarter Moon, Venus, and some of our favorite summer celestial objects. It will cool off as the Sun sets. Look for us near the stoplight in front of Ace Hardware. Hope to see you then!

What’s Up in the Night Sky – July 2026

from In-The-Sky.org

Moon Phases

Last Quarter – July 7

New Moon – July 14

First Quarter – July 21

Full – July 29 – The Buck Moon

Close Encounters

July 1 – The globular cluster M22 in Sagittarius is at opposition tonight.

July 4 (early AM) – Mars and Uranus are in close proximity in Taurus, passing within 10 arcminutes of each other. Mars is magnitude 1.3 and Uranus is magnitude 5.8 in the early morning sky. They will be visible together in a telescope eyepiece.

July 6 – The Earth reaches aphelion today at 1.0166 AU from the Sun.

July 7 (early AM) – The Moon and Saturn are in conjunction this morning. The last-quarter Moon shines at magnitude -11.9 and Saturn at magnitude 0.5 in Pisces.

July 11 (early AM) – The thin crescent Moon and Mars are in conjunction in Taurus. The Moon is 3 days from new at magnitude -10.4 and Mars at magnitude 1.3.

July 12 – Mercury is at inferior solar conjunction, signaling the end to the recent evening apparition and the beginning of its upcoming morning apparition.

July 16 – The thin crescent Moon is near Regulus in the evening sky.

July 17 – The 3-day-old Moon and Venus are in conjunction in the evening sky, with the Moon passing about 2 degrees to the south of Venus.  Don’t miss this one!

July 24 – The Moon and Antares in Scorpius are in conjunction in the evening sky.

July 26 – Asteroid 3 Juno is at opposition in Aquila, reaching magnitude 9.1.

July 27 – Pluto is at opposition in Capricornus. Patience, a good star chart, and viewing several weeks apart will help parse out the magnitude 14.9 ember from all the other pinpricks of light.

July 29 – Jupiter is at superior conjunction with the Sun, ending the current apparition and beginning the next apparition. Jupiter next reaches opposition on February 11, 2027 in Leo.

Major Meteor Showers – from https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/

Both the Southern delta Aquariids and the alpha Capricornids peak at the end of July. They will be mostly washed out by a 98% full Moon.

*Sneak Peak* – The Perseid meteor shower starts activity around July 17 each year and will peak the night of August 12-13. The Moon will be new on August 12 (Wednesday night) so no interference from the Moon as we look for the normal zenithal hourly rates of 30-50. Make your plans now!

Planet Watch for July 15, 2026

Mercury recently passed in front of the Sun (inferior conjunction) and is not visible.

Venus is visible in the western sky starting around 8:45pm and remains above the horizon until around 10:30pm. It shines in Leo at magnitude -4.1.

Mars rises above the eastern horizon around 2:45am.  The magnitude 1.3 spark is visible until the Sun washes out the sky around 4:45am.

Jupiter will pass behind the Sun in superior conjunction on the 29^th and is not visible.

Saturn rises in the east around Midnight and reaches an altitude of 50° as the Sun rises around 5am. It brightens to magnitude 0.5 in Pisces.

Uranus rises in the east around 2:20am and reaches an altitude of about 22° before the eastern horizon brightens with the arrival of dawn. Uranus shines at magnitude 5.8 in Taurus.

Neptune rises just before Midnight and reaches an altitude of 47° above the south-eastern horizon at sunrise. Neptune shines faintly a magnitude 7.9 in Pisces.