The Celestial Times, August

Times marked "UT" are given in Universal Time and need a simple conversion for other time zones and for daylight saving.
The others are given in local standard time, and should be correct to within about half an hour anywhere in the world. If you want better accuracy you can make adjustments. Also, remember to add one hour when daylight saving is in force, so 10:00pm becomes 11:00pm, for instance.

Click on any of the images to find out more about it courtesy of The Nine Planets. This should appear in a separate window, so that you can explore without losing your place.

The Sun Depending upon your latitude, sunrise and sunset times at the beginning and end of the month will be: 55°N 4:08 am - 8:04 pm and 5:05 am - 6:54 pm; 50°N 4:29 am - 7:43 pm and 5:14 am - 6:45 pm; 45°N 4:45 am - 7:27 pm and 5:21 am - 6:38 pm; 40°N 4:58 am - 7:14 pm and 5:27 am - 6:32 pm; 35°N 5:09 am - 7:03 pm and 5:32 am - 6:27 pm; 30°N 5:19 am - 6:54 pm and 5:37 am - 6:23 pm.
On the 11^th a total solar eclipse will be visible from England, northern and eastern Europe, the middle east and the norther Indian subcontinent. To learn more about eclipses visit Inconstant Moon.
The Moon Last quarter on 4^th at 5:27 pm UT, New on 11^th at 11:08 am UT, First quarter on 19^th at 1:47 am UT, Full on 26^th at 11:48 pm UT.
Occults first magnitude star Aldebaran (alpha Tauri) on the 6^th.
For nightly multimedia lunar tours, visit Inconstant Moon.
Mercury Will be at greatest western elongation of 19° on the 14^th, when it will rise over 1h30m before the Sun, magnitude 0.0. This is best morning apparition of the year for observers in the northern hemisphere.
Venus Will be at inferior conjunction on the 20^th, so will be unobservable until the very end of the month when it will rise about an hour before the Sun, magnitude -4.3.
Mars A bright evening object, currently in Libra. It will set roughly 2h after the Sun throughout the month, while its magnitude decreases from 0.0 to 0.3. The crescent Moon will be nearby on the 18^th.
Jupiter A brilliant object currently in Aries. At the beginning of the month it will rise nearly 6h before the Sun, magnitude -2.5, and by the end it will transit at about 3:30 am, magnitude -2.7. It will be stationary on the 25^th. The gibbous Moon will be nearby on the 3^rd and 30^th.
Saturn Another bright object in Aries, it will rise over 5h before the Sun at the beginning of the month, magnitude 0.3, brightening to 0.1 by month end when it will transit at around 4:20 am. It will be stationary on the 30^th, and the gibbous Moon will be nearby on the 4^th and 31^th.
Uranus Currently in Capricorn, transits at about 12:34 am at the beginning of the month, and at about 10:24 pm by month-end, magnitude 5.7. It will be at opposition on the 7^th. By month end it will be within 10' due south-east from theta Capricorni. The gibbous Moon will be nearby on the 24^th-25^th.
Neptune Also in Capricorn at the moment, transits at about 11:40 pm at the beginning of the month, and at around 9:35 pm by the end, magnitude about 7.9 throughout. It passes within 10' south of sigma Capricorni around the 8^th. Gibbous Moon nearby on the 24^th.
Pluto An extremely faint object in Ophiuchus, magnitude 13.8, setting after the Sun by some 5h at the beginning of the month and around 4h by the end. It is currently about ¹/³° north-west of the 2^nd magnitude zeta Ophiuchi, and is stationary on the 21^st.
Asteroids Vesta is currently travelling through the sickle of Leo, beginning the month some 4° south of delta Leonis and ending it a similar distance south of gamma Leonis (Algieba), magnitude around 8.0. Juno, around magnitude 10.2, travels westward some 5° through Serpens during the month, beginning less than 1° north-east of delta Ophiuchi (Yed Prior).
The best way to observe an asteroid is to look for its tell-tale movement over several nights.
Meteors The Delta Aquarids, which began and peaked last month, will end around the 15^th. The Capricornids, which also began last month, will peak around the 2^nd and will end on about the 25^th. The Perseid shower also began last month. Its peak should occur on the 12^th, when the young crescent Moon will have set shortly after the Sun. As many as 50 per hour may be seen originating from its radiant in Perseus. With the recent return of the parent comet Swift-Tuttle, a smaller, earlier peak has also been seen.

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	The Sun Depending upon your latitude, sunrise and sunset times at the beginning and end of the month will be: *55°N* 4:08 am - 8:04 pm and 5:05 am - 6:54 pm; *50°N* 4:29 am - 7:43 pm and 5:14 am - 6:45 pm; *45°N* 4:45 am - 7:27 pm and 5:21 am - 6:38 pm; *40°N* 4:58 am - 7:14 pm and 5:27 am - 6:32 pm; *35°N* 5:09 am - 7:03 pm and 5:32 am - 6:27 pm; *30°N* 5:19 am - 6:54 pm and 5:37 am - 6:23 pm. On the 11^th a total solar eclipse will be visible from England, northern and eastern Europe, the middle east and the norther Indian subcontinent. To learn more about eclipses visit Inconstant Moon.
	The Moon Last quarter on 4^th at 5:27 pm UT, New on 11^th at 11:08 am UT, First quarter on 19^th at 1:47 am UT, Full on 26^th at 11:48 pm UT. Occults first magnitude star Aldebaran (alpha Tauri) on the 6^th. For nightly multimedia lunar tours, visit Inconstant Moon.
	Mercury Will be at greatest western elongation of 19° on the 14^th, when it will rise over 1h30m before the Sun, magnitude 0.0. This is best morning apparition of the year for observers in the northern hemisphere.
	Venus Will be at inferior conjunction on the 20^th, so will be unobservable until the very end of the month when it will rise about an hour before the Sun, magnitude -4.3.
	Mars A bright evening object, currently in Libra. It will set roughly 2h after the Sun throughout the month, while its magnitude decreases from 0.0 to 0.3. The crescent Moon will be nearby on the 18^th.
	Jupiter A brilliant object currently in Aries. At the beginning of the month it will rise nearly 6h before the Sun, magnitude -2.5, and by the end it will transit at about 3:30 am, magnitude -2.7. It will be stationary on the 25^th. The gibbous Moon will be nearby on the 3^rd and 30^th.
	Saturn Another bright object in Aries, it will rise over 5h before the Sun at the beginning of the month, magnitude 0.3, brightening to 0.1 by month end when it will transit at around 4:20 am. It will be stationary on the 30^th, and the gibbous Moon will be nearby on the 4^th and 31^th.
	Uranus Currently in Capricorn, transits at about 12:34 am at the beginning of the month, and at about 10:24 pm by month-end, magnitude 5.7. It will be at opposition on the 7^th. By month end it will be within 10' due south-east from theta Capricorni. The gibbous Moon will be nearby on the 24^th-25^th.
	Neptune Also in Capricorn at the moment, transits at about 11:40 pm at the beginning of the month, and at around 9:35 pm by the end, magnitude about 7.9 throughout. It passes within 10' south of sigma Capricorni around the 8^th. Gibbous Moon nearby on the 24^th.
	Pluto An extremely faint object in Ophiuchus, magnitude 13.8, setting after the Sun by some 5h at the beginning of the month and around 4h by the end. It is currently about ¹/³° north-west of the 2^nd magnitude zeta Ophiuchi, and is stationary on the 21^st.
	Asteroids Vesta is currently travelling through the sickle of Leo, beginning the month some 4° south of delta Leonis and ending it a similar distance south of gamma Leonis (Algieba), magnitude around 8.0. Juno, around magnitude 10.2, travels westward some 5° through Serpens during the month, beginning less than 1° north-east of delta Ophiuchi (Yed Prior). The best way to observe an asteroid is to look for its tell-tale movement over several nights.
	Meteors The Delta Aquarids, which began and peaked last month, will end around the 15^th. The Capricornids, which also began last month, will peak around the 2^nd and will end on about the 25^th. The Perseid shower also began last month. Its peak should occur on the 12^th, when the young crescent Moon will have set shortly after the Sun. As many as 50 per hour may be seen originating from its radiant in Perseus. With the recent return of the parent comet Swift-Tuttle, a smaller, earlier peak has also been seen.