August 2022 Astronomy Events
August is already here. What's in the sky? We at OPT Corp have summarized the important, must-know August 2022 Astronomy dates! Check out this overview of the top astronomy everts of 2022 as well!
Many of the below mentioned events can be seen with the naked eye. Learn more about observing astronomy events without a telescope.
Top August 2022 Astronomy Events
8/11 – The Full Sturgeon Moon / Supermoon
The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth’s Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 1:36 UTC. Known by early Native American tribes as the Sturgeon Moon due to the large sturgeon dish of the Great Lakes (and other major lakes) being more easily caught this time of the year. The Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon are other names this moon has been referred to as.
This will be the last of the three supermoons of 2022. Note that the Moon will be near its closest approach to Earth and may appear to be slightly larger and brighter than usual.
8/13 – Perseids Meteor Shower
One of the most anticipated meteor showers to observe. The Perseids Meteor Shower at its peak will produce roughly 60 meteors per hour. This shower is known for producing a high number of bright, easily observable meteors. It originates from the comet Swift-Tuttle (discovered in 1862), Running annually form July 17th to August 24th, the peak this year lands on the night of August 12th and the following morning of August 13th. Observation of this shower is recommended from a dark location after midnight. The meteors will radiate from constellation Perseus, but they can appear anywhere in the sky.
Note: This shower not only lands on the night of a full moon, but it occurs on the night of a full supermoon. Meaning that lunar interference is expected to block out many meteors however, this meteor shower is so bright and numerous that a decent show is still expected.
8/14 – Saturn at opposition
The giant ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This will make the planet appear brighter than any other night of the year and will be fully visible all night long. This night will be the best night of the year to observe and image Saturn. We recommend using a medium sized telescope, as it will allow you to see Saturn’s rings, and even a few of its brightest moons.
8/17 – Mercury at Highest Altitude in the Evening Sky
Mercury will reach its highest point in the sky in its July-September 2022 evening apparition. Shining brightly at a magnitude of 0.2, this apparition will be rather difficult to observe, though it will still be visible to the naked eye.
8/27 – New Moon
The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun. As a result, it will not be visible in the night sky on this night. Take advantage of this night, as there will be no lunar interference, making it an optimal night for imaging.
8/27 – Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Additionally, on this night, the planet Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation of 27.3 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view mercury, as it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky.
8/29 – Mercury at Dichotomy
Mercury will reach half phase in its July-September 2022 evening apparition. Shining at a bright magnitude of 0.2, the viewing of this planet will fade as it reaches the end of its apparition. It will become more difficult to observe as it heads towards an inferior conjunction, while passing between the Earth and the Sun.
August 2022 Conjunctions
Below are all of the conjunctions for this month. All of the listed conjunctions are visible to the naked eye, or can seen in more detail through binoculars. All due to the fact that these celestial objects are spaced too far apart to seen in the same field of view through a telescope.
| Date | Celestial Objects |
| 8/11 | The Moon and Saturn |
| 8/15 | The Moon and Jupiter |
| 8/19 | The Moon and Mars |
That concludes the top August 2022 Astronomy Events! What did we miss? Which event are you looking forward to the most? Is there anything you would like to add? Let us know in the comments below orContact Us to speak with an expert.
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Overview of the Top 2022 Astronomy Events
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