Moon
1st Quarter --- 6th 14:46 to 23:10
Full ------------ 13th 20:02 to 05:22
Last Quarter -- 21st 22:38 to 14:35
New ------------ 29th 06:41 to 19:37
Planets.
Neptune continues its rise in the east, getting above the horizon on the 1st of August at 10pm and being visible for the rest of the short night. At the end of the month it’ll rise at 8pm as dusk is falling.
Uranus will rise in the east at 10:45pm on the 1st, and will be available for the rest of the night. At month’s end it will rise at 8:45 pm as dusk descends.
Jupiter will rise on the 1st at 11:45pm, a bit brighter and larger, now at 41 arcsec, and will be with us for the rest of the night. It’ll only get to 31° above the horizon before twilight spoils things about 4 or 5am, but that’s high enough for some good observing. A good performance this year. At the end of the month it’ll rise at 9:45pm and be available for the rest of the night, a little larger still, at 45arcsec, and a little brighter at mag –2.7. A photographic target.
Next up is Mars, at 2am on the 1st, still small and at mag 1.4, no brighter. Again spoiled by the short nights of summer. By the end of the month it’ll rise at 1:30am, a little bigger but no brighter.
Venus is too close to the Sun for observation.
Mercury will not be available till the 26th, when it may be seen as it rises in the east north east at 5:15am, almost an hour before the Sun. It will be at mag +2.8 and present a 7° phase! See if you can catch it. Be quick as the phase will be 17° on the 27th and mag +1.4, then 24° and mag +0.9 on the 29th, and on the 31st, it’ll be at mag +0.4 and 32° phase, a continued improvement from the 26th to the end of the month as it gets further from the Sun, from our angle of sight.
Saturn will set by 11pm on the 1st, in bright twilight, so this is the end for Saturn for a few months. But the rings will be wider next time.
Meteor Showers.
7 showers peaking in August, but none of consequence, except the Perseids. The peak is on the 12th, but as it falls at 3am perhaps it’s better to count it as the 11th this year. There will be a Perseid watch on the 11th so get down to Austerfield that night. And as the 12th is a Friday we’ll be open again then.
Comets.
Again none of visual brightness, though C/2009 P1 Garradd may be getting brighter, mag 9 at the moment.