The month of August will be a time of planets and meteors. As the month begins, Mars and Saturn are getting nearer to one another each night. Mars is near the bright star Spica in the constellation of Virgo, the Maiden. Mars will move progressively east in the sky and reach is closest point to Saturn on the evening of August 27th when Mars passes under the ringed planet for a brilliant sight. It is this motion cross the sky compared to the stars that lead to the ancient Romans calling them “wanderers”. Saturn is in the
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constellation of Libra, the Scales. It shines in the south west and the two planets will get progressively closer together as the summer progresses and will be only eight times the diameter of the full moon by the end of August. Those who are early risers will be treated to the planet Venus shining in the east just before sunrise. It will make a nice triangle with the red star Aldebaran in Taurus, the Bull, and Capella in Auriga, the Charioteer. On the morning of August 18th, Venues and the second brightest planet, Jupiter, will be less than the diameter of the full Moon from one another, making a striking pair.
The Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of August 12/13, 2014. The Perseid meteors result when the Earth passes through the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Meteor showers are named after the constellation that they appear to come from; if you trace back the path of the meteors across the sky in a meteor shower, they all point back to a certain spot on the sky, called the radiant. The constellation or star nearest where the radiant is located gives the meteor shower its name. From a dark location you can normally see about two or 
three random meteors per hour. During the peak of the Perseid meteors the shower will produce about 50 – 80 meteors per hour, peaking in the morning on August 12th and 13th. This year the shower takes place two days after full Moon and this will affect viewing of fainter meteors. However, the Perseid meteors are noted for many brighter meteors some of which may leave a trail behind. Meteors last only a second or two, and the Perseids will come from the northeast part of the sky. The meteor shower produces meteors for about a day before and a day after the peak, so keep an eye on the sky for meteors on August 11th through to the 13th.
No special equipment is needed for watching a meteor shower. The Perseid meteors will appear to be coming from the northeast part of the sky so sweep with your eyes that part of the sky. Try not to stare at one spot in the sky. To save your neck, a chair that reclines, like a pool chair will help, and don’t forget the bug spray! Good luck!
