Your August Skywatching Guide: Eclipses, a Planet Parade and the Perseids

August is here, which means a new month of exciting events in the night sky is on the horizon.  The eighth month of the year will bring a major meteor shower, a planetary parade, an eclipse, and more. Here is a look at what you need to put on your viewing calendar in the coming weeks.

Planetary Parades Marching Across the Sky

The month will kick off with the moon appearing in close conjunction with Saturn on the night of Monday, August 3. The duo will be positioned too far apart in the sky to see through a telescope or binoculars. This means that your best bet is to view the conjunction with your naked eye.

The following week, six planets will align together to form a celestial parade. The planetary parade featuring Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, and Mars will be best visible in the pre-dawn hours of August 12. You will need special tools to see Uranus and Neptune; however, the other four planets can be seen without the use of any equipment.

Meteor Showers and Eclipses Abound in August

The back half of the month will boast a major meteor shower and a pair of eclipses. A total solar eclipse will unfold on August 12 across Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, portions of the remote Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small sliver of Portugal. Meanwhile, some areas of the northern U.S., Canada, Europe, and the northwestern corner of Africa will see a partial solar eclipse. Alaska will be the best spot in the U.S. to see this natural wonder, happening between 7:34 am and 9:31 am AKDT.