August skies will feature Perseid meteor shower

During the month of August, night sky watchers will be able to check out the Perseid meteor shower in addition to several celestial conjunctions is lunar occultation .

The Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak on August 12, although it will also be possible to observe it a few days before and a few days after that date.

A meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through a region with a high concentration of comet debris. When it hits the atmosphere at high speed, these fragments burst into flames, leaving a trail of light that forms “shooting stars.”

Visible every year at this same time, the Perseids are composed of fragments of the comet Swift-Tuttle. And it gets its name from the place where the phenomenon can be seen in the sky, the constellation Perseus.

Check out tips for observing meteor showers here.

Celestial conjunctions occur when two or more celestial bodies appear very close together in the sky — an optical illusion, as they are separated by thousands of kilometers in space.

Conjunctions are generally observable with the naked eye, and often produce beautiful astronomical photos.

This month, the conjunction between the Moon and Saturn will turn into a lunar occultation — when the Moon enters in front of a star, leaving it hidden — in the North, part of the Northeast and the Center-West regions.

See below the main astronomical phenomena of the month of June according to guide to astronomical ephemeris of the Valongo Observatory, of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) .

• 5/8: Conjunction of the Moon, Venus and Mercury before dusk, westward, in the constellation of Leo. On the 5th and 6th, the Moon, Venus, Mercury and the star Regulus will form a beautiful celestial quartet;
• 6/8: Conjunction between Venus and Mercury before dusk, westward, in the constellation of Leo. The stars will be separated by 5°;
• 12/8: Maximum activity of the Perseid meteor shower, which can be observed during the early morning hours in the northeast direction;
• 14/8: Conjunction of the Moon with the star Antares, westward, early morning. The stars will be separated by 0.6°; Conjunction between Mars and Jupiter during the early morning, eastward, in the constellation of Taurus. The stars will be separated by only 0.3°;
• 20/8: Conjunction between the Moon and Saturn and close-grazing lunar occultation of Saturn in the early evening, eastward, in the constellation of Aquarius. States in the North and part of the Northeast and Central-West regions will be able to observe a complete lunar occultation of the planet;
• 26/8: Conjunction of the Moon with the Pleiades cluster in the early morning, eastward, in
  constellation Taurus;
• 27/8: Conjunction between the Moon, Mars and Jupiter during the early morning (after 3 am), eastward, in the constellation of Taurus;
• 28/8: Moon, Mars and Jupiter will form a beautiful celestial trio during the early morning (after 3 am), eastward, in the
  constellation Taurus.

O astronomical ephemeris guide has been produced since 2016 by Valongo Observatory from the UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) and brings the main phenomena that can be seen in the night sky each year.

With the aim of reviving interest in celestial contemplation, the material lists month by month which celestial bodies will be visible and the best way to look for them. It also provides simple explanations about astronomy.

O complete guide with sky maps, can be downloaded for free here .

check out here astronomy apps to help locate and track astronomical phenomena in the night sky.

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