Celestial Events Tomorrow

September 2 - Neptune at Opposition The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes. https://ift.tt/2y7Wa0U

August 19 - Full Moon The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 05:23 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Corn Moon because the corn is harvested around this time of year. https://ift.tt/2hDHuNr

August 13 - New Moon The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 02:42 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. https://ift.tt/2xQPjth

August 11 - Venus at Greatest Western Elongation The planet Venus reaches greatest western elongation of 45.8 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the bright planet in the eastern sky before sunrise. https://ift.tt/2y7Wa0U

August 3 - Perseids Meteor Shower The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of the 11th and morning of the 12th. The second quarter moon will block out some of the fainter meteors this year, but the Perseids are so bright and numerous that it should still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky. https://ift.tt/2zp7YZC

July 28 - Full Moon The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 15:59 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon. https://ift.tt/2hDHuNr

July 22 - Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of the 28th and morning of the 29th. The second quarter moon will block many of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you should still be able to catch a few of the brighter ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky. https://ift.tt/2zp7YZC

July 20 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 20.1 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise. https://ift.tt/2y7Wa0U

July 20 - Saturn at Opposition The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn's rings and a few of its brightest moons. https://ift.tt/2y7Wa0U

July 14 - New Moon The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 17:33 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. https://ift.tt/2xQPjth

July 5 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra. During this type of eclipse the Moon will darken slightly but not completely. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of North America, South America, the eastern Pacific Ocean, the western Atlantic Ocean, and extreme western Africa. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information) https://ift.tt/2nmVJJk

July 5 - Jupiter at Opposition The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet. https://ift.tt/2y7Wa0U