 August 24-September 6, 2015
The waxing (increasing in size) moon begins the week of the 24th guiding our attention to Scorpius the Scorpion and neighboring Sagittarius the Archer, prominent constellations in the southeast to southwest on summer evenings. Golden planet Saturn adds its charm to the scene. Full moon on the 29th is followed by the moon’s late night and early morning waning phases. Sparkling planet Venus has returned, climbing quickly into the sky at the leading edge of sunrise in the east.
This evening, Monday the 24th, sunset is at 7:42. Anytime between an hour after sunset until about 11 p.m., gaze down from the waxing gibbous (larger than half) moon to two side-by-side stars. Looking like and known as the Cat’s Eyes, they represent the stinger that is perched atop the curved tail of the mythic Scorpion. Shaula, on the left, is brighter than its counterpart, Leseth. Follow the curve of the body of Scorpius to the right to locate the remarkable red star, Antares, the heart of the constellation. Further to the right, beyond the arc of the pincers that cross the body, alight upon golden Saturn. Tonight, Saturn sets at 11:23 p.m., Shaula at 11:28, Antares 11:28 and the moon 12:42 a.m. By September 6, Saturn and all of these stars set nearly an hour earlier; sunset occurs 20 minutes earlier than on August 24.
On Tuesday the 25th, the moon appears further east, above the far edge of Sagittarius the Archer. This constellation’s brightest stars form a shape recognizable as a teapot; it is The Teapot asterism or pattern. At nightfall in dark sky locations, the form of a centaur – half man half horse – carrying a bow and arrow is discernable.
For late night stargazers, on Friday, the 28th, the nearly full moon appears above and slightly to the right of bright star Fomalhaut, which rises in the southeast at 9:24 p.m. and travels the sky all night, low to the horizon, to set in the southwest at 5:24 Saturday morning the 29th. When Fomalhaut rises it is the bright star to the east, far left, of Sagittarius and Scorpius as they are poised to set in the southwest. On September 6, Fomalhaut rises and sets about half an hour earlier.
Whether under dark country skies awash with moonlight or light-polluted town locations, the apparent magnitude (m) or brightness of Saturn (.52m), Antares (1.03m), Shaula (1.59m) and Fomalhaut (1.15m) should make them standouts. Note that the smaller the number the brighter the object.
On Saturday the 29th, August’s Full Grain Moon rises at 7:27 p.m. in the east-southeast, opposite the sunset in the west-northwest at 7:34.
At daybreak, seek out brilliant planet Venus, visible close to the eastern horizon until about 20 minutes before sunrise once you know where to look. In its current apparition as the Morning Star, Venus rises earlier, climbs higher and becomes brighter every morning. On the 25th,Venus (-4.19m) rises at 5:16 a.m., sunrise at 6:11. On September 6, Venus (-4.46m) rises at 4:13 a.m., sunrise 6:23. Be there to receive the twinkling light of the goddess star at the opening of each late summer day.
