What to see in the August sky?

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Astronomy

August arrives with high temperatures and long days in the northern hemisphere (and short days in the southern hemisphere).
On August 15 the Sun rises in Madrid at 7:26 am and sets at 9:12 pm, peninsular time.
In total 14 hours of daylight.

What will we be able to see during this month of August in the sky? What will the celestial vault surprise us with? The highlight will be to enjoy the famous Perseids star shower, or tears of St. Lawrence.
Its peak activity will be around August 12.

Sunrises and Sunsets in August

On a latitude of 40º and longitude of 000º.

Day 05: Departure at 4h 47m; Arrival at 18h 51m
Day 15: Departure at 4h 56m; Settling at 18h 39m
Day 25: Departure at 5h 06m; Settling at 18h 25m

Before sunrise, we will be able to enjoy Orion again with Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Saiph and Rigel, as well as the belt with the three Marias: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, the latter very well known to navigators, since just when it becomes visible above the horizon it will mark the East as this star coincides with the celestial equator.

Planets you will be able to see this month

Mercury, Messenger and God of Commerce, we will not be able to enjoy this planet during practically the whole month.
Only at the end of the month we will begin to glimpse it with a not very high brightness, and at low altitude of the east-northeast horizon during the dawn.

Venus, Goddess of Beauty, it has been visible for some weeks above the western horizon at sunset.
This is the brightest point (magnitude -3.9 in Leo) if we look to the W just after sunset.
The last week it is already located in the constellation Virgo just to Spica.

As the months go by, the evening star will gradually gain height and brightness. Mars, the God of War, is visible in the early morning next to Jupiter, first low over the east-northeast and already during dawn higher over the east.
It shines at magnitude -2.2 in Taurus.

During the first fortnight, the distance between Mars and Jupiter will gradually decrease, and they will eventually meet on August 14. Jupiter, God of the Universe, is observed in the early morning, first low over the east-northeast and at dawn higher over the east.
It shines with magnitude -2.2 in Taurus.

SaturnThe God of Time can be seen all night long, culminating over the south in the early morning.
It moves retrograde to the east of Aquarius, shining at magnitude 0.7.

On the 27th and 28th the Moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter and Mars.

Meteor showers in August

The Perseids are visible between July 17 and August 24, with peak activity expected this year on August 12.
In Spain we will be able to see a similar number of meteors on both the 11th and 12th.
The Moon, in crescent, will help the observation by not providing light pollution, and if we wait for the early morning will be the best time.

Lunar Occultations

At the end of the dawn of August 21, the Moon occults Saturn, almost coinciding with the beginning of dawn in the Balearic Islands and the east of the peninsula, but one hour before its beginning in the west (in the Canary Islands there will still be more than two hours before it begins to get light).
A little more than an hour later, with the morning twilight already advanced in most of Spain, except in the Canary Islands, where it will still be closed night, the emersion takes place.

On the 26th the Moon will pass in front of a part of the Pleiades cluster, so that the List of stellar occultations and grazing occultations will increase with respect to the usual.