In August there will be the Perseid meteor shower; see the astronomical calendar

As in previous months, the sky in August leaves nothing to be desired in terms of scenery. astronomical displays and despite the rainfall meteorites more common at this time of year, several exciting celestial events are expected each week of the month and offer unique opportunities to observe the night sky!

The astronomical events of August, the third and final Supermoon of the year, and the famous Perseid meteor shower!

If, for whatever reason, you missed the two Super Moons of the year that occur in June and July, this will be your last chance to make up for it! On August 11, the Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. However, it will still be very close to its closest approach to Earth and will appear slightly larger and brighter than usual. full moon even more magnificent.

In addition to the Supermoon, definitely the most remarkable and most anticipated celestial event on the moon will be the moon’s zenith. meteor shower favorite of amateur astronomers: Perseids! That’s because the Perseid meteor shower is one of the best to watch in its class, producing up to 60 meteors per hour!

This meteor shower is produced by Comet Swift-Tuttle, discovered by American astronomers in 1862. Perseids are usually easy to spot, as they produce a large number of bright meteors, and it rains between July 17 and August 24 each year.

However, due to the comet’s orbit, meteor showers are more easily visible from the planet’s Northern Hemisphere and are more likely to be observed in Brazil in the North and Northeast regions of the country.

It will peak on the night of the 12th this year and early in the morning of August 13. On these nights, however, the nearly full moon in the sky will make the phenomenon difficult to see, leaving only the brightest meteors easily identifiable, but still a spectacular event is expected. The best view will be from a dark place after midnight and meteors will emanate mainly from the constellation Perseus, but can be seen anywhere in the sky.

Calendar of the main astronomical events of the month of August 2022

01/08: Mars and Saturn conjunction

08/05: Moon in Crescent Quadrant

08/11: full moon; Super Moon

08/12 and 13: Maximum activity of the Perseid meteor shower

08/14: Saturn in opposition (visible from dusk to dawn)

08/15: Conjunction between Jupiter and Moon

08/18: Maximum activity of the kapa-Cignid meteor shower

08/19: Moon in waning quarter and conjunction between Mars and Moon

08/25: Conjunction between Venus and Moon

08/27: New month

08/29: Conjunction between Mercury and Moon

Clear skies and good observations!