August will be a treat for stargazers as there is a lot to see in the night sky this month. July had some dramatic celestial events with the longest blood Moon this century and Mars making a close flyby near Earth. As the red planet retreats, this month's biggest attraction, apart from the Moon itself will be Mercury and Venus.
Mercury will be at the eastern horizon starting Aug 26. It has about the same brightness as the star Vega—one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Rising at 4:46 am local time in New York, just before sunrise. Space.com explains that the Sun will be just less than 18 degrees below the horizon with twilight beginning at 4:38 am.
Venus, on the other hand, will be something of an "evening star," notes the report. Venus will be visible just after sunset till about 9:10 pm. Soon after sunset, Venus should be visible, even when not completely dark.
If there is a full Moon on, it is highly likely that it will completely overwhelm the sky, even in dark sky spots on the planet. Even then, star formations like the Summer Triangle will be easily visible at night, notes the report. The Triangle which consists of the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair. From most places in the northern hemisphere, one needs to only look straight up after sunset to spot Vega.
The full moon, meanwhile, will be rising in the east, on Aug 26. The full Moon in August is called the Sturgeon Moon, notes the report. This is because it is an old belief that it is easy to catch Sturgeons in August and September. The fish is native to both the European seas as well as the Americas, so this name could have come from colonists.
The Sturgeon moon will be 2018's ninth full Moon. January had a rare blue Moon—two full Moons in the same calendar month. Also, the report notes that the ninth full Moon of the year is also called the Corn Moon.
