Night Sky Observing Guide for August 2012 (Sky Maps)

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August 2012 Full Moon

August 2012 Last Quarter Moon

Thu., August 9, 2012, 2:55 p.m. EDT. The last or third quarter moon rises around 11:20 p.m. and sets around 2:20 p.m.

August 2012 New Moon

Fri., August 17, 2012, 11:54 a.m. EDT. The moon is not visible on the date of new moon because it is too close to the sun.

August 2012 First Quarter Moon

Fri., August 24, 2012, 10:54 a.m. EDT. The first quarter moon rises around 2:30 p.m. and sets around 12:20 a.m.

August 2012 Full Moon 2

Fri., August 31, 2012, 9:58 a.m. EDT. There is a second full moon this month, what is sometimes called a "blue moon."

Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter

Mon., August 6, 2012, morning. Multiple events involving Jupiter's moons and their shadows will take place.

Jupiter Occulted by the Moon

Sat., August 11, 2012, morning. Jupiter and its moons will be occulted by the moon as seen from Indonesia, Marshall Islands, and Hawaii.

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks

Sun., August 12, 2012, after midnight. The Perseid meteor shower, usually the most reliable meteor shower of the year, peaks just around dawn.

Jupiter, Venus and the Moon

Mon., August 13, 2012, dawn. A triple conjunction frames the crescent moon with the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter.

Saturn, Mars, and Spica

Tue., August 14, 2012, early evening. A close encounter between planets Saturn and Mars, along with first magnitude star Spica, Alpha Virginis.

Mercury and Venus at Maximum Elongation

Thu., August 16, 2012, dawn. Mercury is at maximum western elongation this morning, and Venus was at maximum western elongation yesterday morning.

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