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NightwatchAugust, 2006Jupiter is starting to disappear over the western horizon now and by midnight will be lost to sight. You will still be able to catch a glimpse of it while it is still light, low down in the S.W. You may also be able to catch sight of the “Evening Star” Venus, also in the west. The large constellation of Pegasus will become very prominent in the sky this month. Look for the square of Pegasus’ body in the east. Pegasus was the mythological winged horse, who flew the hero Perseus back after he had slain the Gorgon Medusa, in order to save his love, Andromeda. A deep sky object to look for is M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy. This can be located near the end star of the Plough’s handle, Alkaid. You will need to be well away from city lights but if you look through binoculars, it will be in the same field of view as Alkaid. The 12th of August will see the Perseid meteor shower reach its peak. The Perseids are one of the richest meteor showers of the year. With ideal conditions, you can expect to see upwards of 70 meteors per hour. They will radiate from the constellation Perseus. Nightwatch ArchiveBrowse by year: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | Annual meteor shower chart |
