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See Perfect Perseid Meteors, A ‘Blue Moon’ And 2021’s Final ‘Supermoon:’ Your Stargazing Guide To Summer

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Are you ready for summer stargazing? From a “Super Strawberry Moon” to what should be one of the best Perseid meteor showers for years, here’s what’s up this summer:

1. A full ‘Super Strawberry Moon’

When: At dusk on Thursday, June 24, 2021

Where: east

The fourth and final full “supermoon” of 2021 will tonight appear in the east as a delicate orange orb. Although it’s officially full at 18:40 UTC, catch it at moonrise where you are by using a moon calculator; for London moonrise is at 9:38 p.m., for New York it’s 8:54 p.m. and for Los Angeles it’s 8:36 p.m.

Since moonrise occurs about 20 minutes after sunset, the celestial mechanics are perfect this month for a super summer show. Be sure to wait about 10-20 minutes after the official moonrise time to see our satellite appear.

2. A crescent Moon with Venus then Mars

When: Just after sunset, 11 and 12 July, 2021

Where: west 

The Moon orbits Earth on more-or-less the same orbital plane as the plane of the Solar System, so it often appears in the night sky close to a planet. On two successive nights in July it appears close to two; on July 12 a very bright Venus will be flanked by a dim Mars and a 3.4%-lit crescent Moon while on July 12 a 8.4%-lit crescent Moon will be just above the two planets. 

3. A ‘Buck Moon’ with Saturn and Jupiter

When: dusk on Friday, July 23, 2021

Where to look: east

The rising of the full Moon is always a delicious sight, but in July’s there’s bonus because the full “Buck Moon” will shine close to Saturn. Once the full Moon has risen—turning from a delicate orange to a brighter yellow as it does so—look down and to the left, due east, and you’ll see the much brighter planet Jupiter appear. C

heck out the moonrise times for your location and get in place—somewhere with a low view to the east—at that time. You’ll see the full Moon rise shortly after. 

4. Venus as a super-bright ‘Evening Star’

When: Dusk, April-December 2021

Where: west

Venus is back in the post-sunset western skies in what is sure to be a scintillating apparition as the “Evening Star.” It’s blazing at magnitude -3.9 this month as it homes in on Mars, which it’s 200 times brighter than.

After a dazzling summer it will slim to a crescent by December and eventually disappear into the Sun’s glare. 

5. Perseid meteor shower

When: Thursday/Friday, August 12/13, 2021

Where: all-sky

The Perseids, the most popular annual meteor shower, will in 2021 peak just a few nights after New Moon, so a waxing crescent Moon will set early in the evening. That should leave the skies nice and dark for a good show of an estimated 100 “shooting stars” per hour. The Perseids—caused by dust left in the Solar System by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle —will be active from July 17 through August 26, 2021.

6. The Milky Way

When: midnight, July and August, 2021

Where: south

The bright center of our galaxy is a seasonal event, and that season is summer. While it emerges from the horizon during April, it’s only by mid-June that it becomes visible soon after sunset. By July it’s already up after dark and in August you’ll see it arc across the night sky—but only if you’re under an inky black sky close to New Moon.

The weeks leading up to the New Moons on July 10, August 8 and September 7, 2021 will be ideal for a galaxy-gaze. 

7. Jupiter at opposition

When: Friday, August 20, 2021

Where to look: dusk to dawn

Jupiter will be well-positioned and shining very brightly from July through October, but tonight it reaches opposition as Earth passes between it and the Sun. As a consequence the planet’s disk is 100% illuminated as seen from Earth, and Jupiter will look at its brightest and best for all of 2021. It rises at dusk (in the east) and sets at dawn (in the west), so grab some binoculars and see if you can see four of its giant moons. 

8. A ‘Blue Moon’ 

When: dusk on Sunday, August 22, 2021

Where to look: east

What is a “Blue Moon?” That depends on who you ask. The astronomical definition is the third full Moon in a season featuring four full Moons, which is relatively rare. That’s what’s happening this summer, which makes August’s “Sturgeon Moon” officially also a “Blue Moon.” The other definition is two full Moons occurring in the same month. 

9. A ‘Harvest Moon’ 

When: dusk on Sunday, August 22, 2021

Where to look: east

Traditionally—though not actually—a time for farmers to get their crops in by the light of the full Moon, which shines all night long, the “Harvest Moon” is the most famous full Moon of the year. It’s defined as the full Moon that rises closest to the September equinox each year, and it’s the fourth full Moon—and the final notable astronomical sight—of summer 2021. 

Times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information consult online planetariums like Stellarium and The Sky Live. Check planet-rise/planet-setsunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times for where you are. 

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes. 

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