Tonight’s Night Sky – What to Look for in the Sky This Evening

Sunday, August 11 – Monday, August 12: Perseid meteor shower peak (predawn)

There’s no better time to see meteors from the Northern Hemisphere than tonight. At its peak, the annual Perseid meteor shower can produce about 60 meteors per hour that can be seen in the night sky. The radiant (where the meteors will appear to emanate) will be the constellation Perseus, which will rise in the northeastern sky around midnight.

Meteor showers are often distorted by strong moonlight, but that’s not the case with this year’s Perseids, which will set at first quarter around midnight. Look skyward during the early hours of Monday for the best chance of catching the meteors, though light pollution and sky clarity will make a big difference. If possible, get away from light pollution — at least 40 miles from a major urban area — but wherever you watch, make sure there are no artificial lights in your field of view. Sit back and relax in a lawn chair, stay warm, and take regular breaks. Never look at your smartphone; its white light will destroy your eyes’ adaptation to the dark, which takes about 20 minutes to develop and only one second of white light to destroy.

If you can’t look for the Perseids in person, you can: Watch them live online here at Space.com. Thanks to the Virtual Telescope Project. Firstly The live broadcast will start at 9pm EST on August 11 (0100 GMT on August 12) the second You will start in 9pm EST on August 12 (0100 GMT on August 13) Coinciding with the expected peak of activity of the Perseid meteor shower.

Friday, August 9 – Saturday, August 10 – Crescent Moon, Virgo, Scorpius, and Milky Way (after sunset)

Right now, the quarter side of the Moon facing Earth is illuminated by sunlight. Over the next two nights, the Moon will appear on either side of the star Spica. Spica will appear directly above the two stars in the constellation Boa constellation, while the Milky Way will rise after dark to the south. However, to see the arc of our galaxy, you’ll need to be away from light pollution. — Jimmy Carter

Thursday, August 8 – Crescent, Venus and Virgo (after sunset)

Here’s another chance to see the crescent moon dominate the evening sky after sunset, with Venus stubbornly shining near the western horizon. Look at the dark left side of the Moon. Can you make out any details? Since the sunlight isn’t shining directly on it, it should be dark, right?

The light you can see is called “planetary glow,” “Earthshine,” or “Da Vinci glow.” It’s sunlight shining on Earth reflecting off the moon. It’s easiest to see when the moon is a few days old. — Jimmy Carter

Wednesday, August 7 – Crescent, Venus and Virgo (after sunset)

A brighter, more visible crescent will appear tonight about halfway between Venus, to its lower right, and the bright star Spica, to its upper left. Spica is one of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky and the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. — Jimmy Carter