Show Notes
Astrophiz 239: August 2026 Sky Guide — Venus at Greatest Elongation, Mars Meets the Crab Nebula, and the Eagle of Aquila
Dr. Ian 'Astroblog' Musgrave returns with your essential guide to the August night sky. This month the planetary action shifts to the morning sky, with Mars sweeping past the Crab Nebula and open cluster M35, while Saturn begins opening its rings ahead of September opposition. Venus dominates the evening twilight on its way to greatest elongation, and the Moon occults El Nath (Beta Tauri) on the 9th.
In this episode:
Moon Phases: Last Quarter, New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and the Lunar X A Total Solar Eclipse crosses the Northern Hemisphere (not visible from Australia) Evening Skies: Venus approaches greatest elongation; Jupiter absent until next month Morning Skies: Mars passes the Crab Nebula and M35; Saturn's rings begin opening Deep-Sky Spotlight: Scorpius, Sagittarius, and the constellation Aquila the Eagle Indigenous Astronomy: Aquila in Koori, Boorong, and Muurrbay sky-lore The Occultation of Elnath by the Moon, August 9 The Perseid Meteor Shower (best from the Northern Hemisphere) The Tangent: How sugar and other organic molecules survive the birth of a new star
Read the full transcript and see the show notes at: astrophiz.com
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