COLUMBIA, S.C. — We have a lot to talk about for the month of August when it comes to viewing the night sky here in the Midlands. From stars, to planets, meteor showers, the moon, and even rocket launches, we have you covered!
To start things off, we have multiple passes of the International Space Station here in the Midlands. That beings with a pass on Monday night right around 9:07 PM. With clear conditions expected things are looking pretty good for this pass. We will also be seeing the space station Tuesday at 9:55 PM and then another great pass on Wednesday at 9:07 PM (I'd catch this one if you had to choose)
As we look towards the middle of the month, the Moon will be reaching full phase on the 11th of August, known as "The Sturgeon Moon".
This coincides unfortunately with the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower which falls on the 11th through the 13th. This showers is typically one of the best of the year but will see reduced rates thanks to the light pollution from the full moon.
My advice would be to go out on the nights leading up and see if you can catch a glimpse of a shooting star. If you go out during the peak, you will see them but it might take a little while.
When it comes to planets we will have a few good viewing opportunities along with the Moon. On August 15th, Jupiter and the Moon will be in the the late night and morning skies. On the 19th, the Moon, Mars, and the Pleiades will be visible mainly in the early morning.
Finally, let's talk about one of the more exciting things this month: The launch of the Artemis I mission! As long as things going according to the schedule given by NASA, the SLS rocket which is the most powerful rocket ever made is expected to launch from Kennedy in Florida.
The mission which is unmanned will send the Orion Capsule around the moon, with a return date in October. We will for sure, have more information on this historic launch as we get closer!
If you are heading out this week to look at the sky, the Skywatch forecast looks pretty good, there isn't a ton of concern about clouds most nights although if we see any widespread storms that could cause some issues.
