Watch for Jupiter and Mars
Jupiter and Mars are both shining in the eastern morning sky in the month of August. On the morning of August 14, they were in conjunction, appearing close to each other when they passed less than a full moon’s width apart on our sky’s dome. And they’re still very close! But they’re pulling apart now. Look for them soon! You can’t miss Jupiter as the brightest starlike object in the predawn sky. Mars is the much-redder, and dimmer, object nearby.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
August 13 to 16 evenings: Moon points way to the Milky Way center
On these evenings, you can see the waxing gibbous moon located (more or less) in the direction to the center of our Milky Way galaxy. This is an exceedingly rich part of the sky. There are many fine stars and faint fuzzies here. Here’s a 1-minute video preview of the moon visiting Antares, Scorpius the Scorpion and the Teapot.
By the evenings of August 15 and 16, 2024, the moon is crossing in front of the Teapot pattern, a beloved asterism in Sagittarius the Archer. Notice the point marking the direction to the center of the Milky Way galaxy near the Teapot, on the chart below. You can stand outside – projecting your thoughts outward to the center of our great galactic home – until after midnight.
August moon
EarthSky’s Marcy Curran previews moon phases for the month of August. See when the moon will be near visible planets and bright stars. Plus this month is the 1st of 4 supermoons in a row!
August 19: Full Blue supermoon
The moment of full moon will fall at 18:26 UTC (1:26 p.m. CDT) on August 19, 2024. A full moon rises opposite the sunset, is highest in the sky at midnight and lies low on the western horizon opposite the sunrise. This is the first of four supermoons in a row. And – the third of four full moons in a season – it’s also a Blue Moon.
August 19: Mercury in inferior conjunction
Mercury will pass between Earth and the sun, reaching inferior conjunction at 2 UTC on August 19.
August 20 evening: Moon close to Saturn
On the evening of August 20, 2024, the waning gibbous moon will lie next to Saturn. The moon will occult – pass in front of – Saturn for observers from Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Europe at 3 UTC on August 21, 2024. They’ll rise around 9 p.m. local time and set after sunrise.
August 21: Moon reaches perigee
The moon will reach perigee – its closest point in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 5 UTC (12 a.m. CDT) on August 21, 2024, when it’s 223,815 miles (360,196 km) away. And while this moon isn’t considered a micromoon, see the image below showing the difference between a closest moon, an average distance moon and the farthest moon.
August 25 and 26 mornings: Moon close to Jupiter, Mars and Pleiades
On the morning of August 25, 2024, the 3rd quarter moon – on its way to visit the planets Jupiter and Mars – will pass the Pleiades star cluster. Then on the morning of August 26, the moon will lie close to Jupiter and Mars. They’ll rise several hours before dawn. Check out the color contrast between the fiery red star Aldebaran and reddish Mars.
August 26: Last quarter moon
The moment of last quarter moon will fall at 9:26 UTC (4:26 a.m. CDT) on August 28, 2024. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and will set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.
August 27 and 28 mornings: Moon hangs with Jupiter
On the mornings of August 27 and 28, 2024, the fat waning crescent moon will slide by bright Jupiter and red Mars. Have you been watching them drift apart after the recent morning conjunction? Also look for the bright stars Capella, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse. Plus the shimmering Pleiades star cluster is nearby. What a lovely sight!
Around August 28 mornings: See 6 Planets across the sky
August 29 and 30 mornings: Moon and twin stars
On the mornings of August 29 and 30, 2024, in the east shortly before sunrise, the waning crescent moon will hang near the twin stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor. The bright star Procyon of Canis Minor the lesser dog is also nearby. Can you see earthshine glowing on the moon? That’s light reflected off the Earth. How cool is that?
August 31 morning: Moon, Castor, Pollux and Beehive
On August’s final morning, August 31, 2024, the thin waning crescent moon will lie near Pollux and Castor, the “twin” stars of Gemini. They’re named for the immortal brothers from different fathers, so they don’t really look alike. Pollux is a bit brighter and golden in color. Castor appears white. And the moon will be close to the faint Beehive star cluster. In a dark sky, the Beehive is an easy target with binoculars. They’ll rise a few hours before sunrise, so try to catch them before dawn.
August 31 morning: Binocular view of moon and Beehive Cluster
Here’s a binocular view of the slender waning crescent moon and the Beehive star cluster on the morning of August 31. Through binoculars, you will see a few dozen of the 1,000 or so stars that are members of the Beehive.
Stars and constellations high in the sky during August
If you’re out stargazing on any August evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.
Cepheus the King
The stick-house-shaped constellation Cepheus lies in the northern sky. Its star Gamma Cephei, or Errai, marks the peak of the roof of the house. And Errai is very near Polaris, the North Star. And you’ll spot the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia nearby.
Cepheus is visible from the Northern Hemisphere every night of the year due to its close location to Polaris, the North Star.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
The Northern Cross
The constellation Cygnus represents a graceful swan. But many also see it as a cross, and so these stars have become known as an asterism called the Northern Cross. The entire pattern fits inside a larger asterism created by the 3 bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair: the famous Summer Triangle.
Vulpecula, Sagitta and Delphinus
Look for the Summer Triangle, a large asterism on August evenings. It consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations. These stars are Vega, Deneb and Altair.
If you can find the Summer Triangle, you can use it to locate three of the sky’s smallest constellations. They are Vulpecula the Fox, Delphinus the Dolphin and Sagitta the Arrow. All three are impossible to see from the city. But they’re lots of fun to pick out in a dark sky.
Enjoy exploring the night sky!
Visible planets in August 2024
August morning planets
Keep an eye on Jupiter and Mars, they will have a close conjunction on August 14, 2024.
Jupiter spends the month in the constellation Taurus the Bull. It’s shining at -2.0 magnitude. The waning crescent moon will hang near Jupiter on August 27. Jupiter will rise about two hours before the sun on August 1 and will rise over four hours before sunrise by month’s end. Jupiter will be brightest in December this year.
Mars will shine at 0.7 magnitude by month’s end, and its disk will grow to 6.3 arcminutes by the end of the month. The waning crescent moon will be near Mars on the mornings of August 27 and 28, 2024. Mars will lie in the constellation Taurus the Bull. It’ll rise about two hours before sunrise on August 1 and around over three hours before sunrise by the end of the month.
Also, the shimmering Pleiades star cluster is near the two planets. Plus, the bright orangish star joining the scene is Aldebaran. It’s the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull.
Saturn will shine around 0.8 magnitude in August 2024. Its ring system is closing. They’ll be edge-on in March 2025. Saturn spends the month in the faint constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. The moon will visit Saturn on August 21. The moon will occult – pass in front of – Saturn for observers from Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Europe at 3 UTC on August 21, 2024. Saturn will rise about two hours after sunset on August 1 and will rise before 9 p.m. your local time by month’s end. Saturn will reach opposition on September 8, 2024. That’s when we fly between it and the sun.
August evening planets
Brilliant Venus will be climbing out of the western evening twilight this month. Look for it very low in the west 30 minutes after sunset in August. The slender waxing crescent moon will float near it on the evening of August 5. Like Mercury, Venus will be easier to spot from the Southern Hemisphere this month.
Mercury for viewers in the Southern Hemisphere: Mercury will be visible low in the west about 30 minutes after sunset in early August, quickly dimming and dropping closer to the horizon each evening. The bright planet Venus is nearby. Mercury has probably already slipped from view for those in the Northern Hemisphere. The waxing crescent moon will lie near Mercury on August 5 and 6. Mercury will move back to the morning sky at the end of August.
Sky dome maps for visible planets and night sky
The sky dome maps come from master astronomy chart-maker Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.
Guy Ottewell explains sky dome maps
Heliocentric solar system visible planets and more
The sun-centered charts come from Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.
Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts.
Some resources to enjoy
For more videos of great night sky events, visit EarthSky’s YouTube page.
Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to daily emails from EarthSky. It’s free!
Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location near you.
Post your own night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.
See the indispensable Observer’s Handbook, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Visit Stellarium-Web.org for precise views from your location.
Almanac: Bright visible planets (rise and set times for your location).
Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.
Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide for August 2024. Look for the waxing gibbous moon near the Teapot, an asterism in Sagittarius the Archer. On the evening of August 15, the moon appears close to the direction of the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
