On Saturday August 18 at 8 pm our telescopes will bear witness to the moon dancing it’s way across the warm summer sky amidst a quartet of planets: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. With several planets rising and setting, there will be plenty of cosmic action against a backdrop of summer constellations such as Scorpius and Cassiopeia.
Our astronomy experts will be your guide to the night sky at Penn Dixie. You may bring along your own telescope or are welcome to use one of the telescopes provided for the evening. Admission to these evening events is $4; Penn Dixie members attend for free.
Please note that we will provide updates on social media should this program be canceled due to weather.
Sun & Moon:
Sunset will be at 8:12 pm
The 57% Waxing Gibbous Moon sets @12:36 am
Planets:
Venus sets at 9:45 PM
Mars rises at 7:27 PM
Jupiter sets at 11:20 pm
Saturn Rises at 5:10 pm
Constellations/Asterisms:
The Summer Triangle – E (Vega, Deneb, & Altair)
The Big Dipper –NW
Cassiopeia – NE
Ophiuchus – Meridian
Lyra –Meridian
Cygnus/Northern Cross – E
Aquilla -SE
Scorpius – SW
Sagittarius – S
Hercules – Meridian
Pegasus – E
Andromeda – NE
DSOs/Stars:
M57 Ring Nebula
M13 The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
NGC457 ET Cluster
M31 Andromeda Galaxy
M4 Star Cluster in Sagittarius
Arcturus
Albireo
Alcor & Mizar
Anteres
Image Credits: NASA