Mars is still a bright object for August.
This August is a sky watchers bonanza.
Perseid's Meteor shower (Swift Tuttle debris) peaks on 08-12 & 13, with a new moon the sky will be dark. You have the potential to see a hundred or more streaks per hour! Get up in th middle of the night and watch.
08/2/07, total lunar eclipse, left coast will have the best "full" view, but east coast will see most of it.
MARS, although what Howie posted may not be completely accurate, between 08/18-24 Mars will form a "second" eye in the constellation Taurus, "the Bull". Best seen between 4-5am, but visible anywhere in the country
Log into
http://www.heavens-above.com for some really neat "space stuff".
Look for links to the Iridium satellites "flares"
These flashes of light can be so bright that if you are underneath the satellites at the time they supposedly can cast shadows!
08/29, Jupiter gets a "new" moon, the brightest asteroid in the sky, Vesta. You'll need got binocs or a telescope for this one but this 330 mile across asteroid will be visible from anywhere in the country. "Vesta" is about as bright as Jupiter's brightest moon, and the intensity changes as the asteroid rotates.
An don't forget our man made stuff ....
The International Space Station, (ISS) is clearly visible just about every night, and this week with the shuttle flying you may be able to see both at the same time, really cool. See the heavens above link, the times and location are dead on accurate, if you look in the right place at the right time with clear sky's you will see the shuttle and ISS.
Good call Howie
