Although the forecast called for the Perseid meteor shower to produce the most meteors in the dark hours before dawn on Sunday, August 12, the meteor output may be nearly as comparable before dawn on Monday, August 13. Predicting the intensity and exact peak of a meteor shower is a tricky business, and meteor showers are notorious for defying hard-and-fast forecasts. At mid-northern latitudes, you should see at least a sprinkling of meteors in the mid to late evening hours tonight, though the best viewing window – from anywhere worldwide – is from about 2 a.m. until dawn. As the meteors fly around in the wee hours tomorrow, be sure to note the picturesque pairing of the waning crescent moon with the dazzling planet Venus in the eastern predawn (and dawn) sky.
Looking east, before dawn, on Monday, August 13
At their peak, the Perseids commonly produce 50 or more meteors per hour at mid-northern latitudes. The Perseids are also visible from the tropics and the subtropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere, but appreciably south of the equator, the number of Perseid meteors are fewer and farther between. That’s because the constellation Perseus – the radiant of the Perseid shower – climbs higher in the Northern Hemisphere sky. For everyone worldwide, the radiant is highest in the sky at or near dawn. That’s why the dark hours just before dawn usually produce the greatest number of Perseid meteors.
Where’s the radiant point for the Perseids?
You don’t have to find the constellation Perseus – or radiant point for the shower – to watch the Perseids. Simply find a dark, open sky away from the glare of city lights, lie down comfortably and enjoy the show. The meteors streak across any number of constellations in the lore-laden heavens. But if you trace the paths of the Perseid meteors backward, they seem to radiate the constellation Perseus, near the famous Double Cluster. Once again, you don’t need to locate the radiant to watch the shower.
Moon and Venus visible in daytime sky on Monday, August 13
After sunrise, sharp-eyed people will still be able to see Venus close to the moon. Shield out the sun – possibly by having a friend hold up an umbrella – and then look for the waning crescent moon. If you have exceptionally good vision, you’ll see Venus shining just east (left) of the moon.
If you can’t see Venus with the eyes alone, try binoculars – if you have them. In North America, the moon and Venus will occupy the same binocular field of view until moonset on Monday, August 13. (If you live in Asia, look for the moon and Venus to take stage in the same binocular field on Tuesday, August 14.) Just keep in mind that as the sun drifts westward throughout the day, the moon and Venus do likewise. Gauge the moon and Venus’ distance to the west of the sun at early morning to help you approximate the position of the moon and Venus later in the day.
As seen from almost all of North America, the moon will occult – cover over – Venus in the afternoon hours on Monday, August 13. Here in Austin, Texas, the lunar occultation of Venus will happen from 3:52 to 4:53 p.m. Central Daylight Time. At this time, the moon and Venus will be low in the western sky. (We give the local times of this occultation for other places around the globe at the bottom of the page.) Use binoculars or a low-powered telescope to watch Venus disappear behind the illuminated side of the moon and then to reappear on the dark side of the moon. Also, think photo opportunity.
In the world’s Eastern Hemisphere – northeast China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, northeast Russia – the moon will occult Venus in the morning hours on Tuesday, August 14. Again, we give the local times for some chosen places below. Click here to find out the occultation times for your sky in Universal Time.
How do I translate Universal Time into my time?
After you see the Perseid meteors tonight, and the moon and Venus in the predawn sky, try you luck at catching the lunar occulataion of Venus in the afternoon hours of Monday, August 13 in North America, or the morning hours of Tuesday, August 14 in eastern Asia. In North America, you’ll want to find an unobstructed western horizon because the moon and Venus will be close to the horizon at the time of the occultation. Click here to find the occultation times for your part of the world in Universal Time.
Local time for United States time zones on August 13
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Eastern Daylight Time)
Occultation begins: 4:40 p.m. EDT
Occultation ends: 5:09 p.m. EDT
Moon sets: 5:09 p.m. EDT
St Louis, Missouri (Central Daylight Time)
Occultation begins: 3:41 p.m. CDT
Occultation ends: 4:38 p.m. CDT
Moon sets: 5:08 p.m. CDT
Denver, Colorado (Mountain Daylight Time)
Occultation begins: 2:35 p.m. MDT
Occultation ends: 3:41 p.m MDT
Moon sets: 5:12 MDT
Fresno, California (Pacific Daylight Time)
Occultation begins: 1:32 p.m PDT
Occultation ends: 2:43 p.m. PDT
Moon sets: 5:05 p.m. PDT
Local occultation times for Eastern Hemisphere on August 14
Shanghai, China
Moonrise: 1:52 a.m. local time (occultation in progress at moonrise)
Occultation ends: 2:26 a.m. local time
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Moonrise: 2:05 a.m. local time (occultation in progress at moonrise)
Occultation ends: 2:55 a.m. local time
Seoul, South Korea
Occultation begins: 2:42 a.m. local time
Occultation ends: 3:37 a.m. local time
Tokyo, Japan
Occultation begins: 2:45 a.m. local time
Occultation ends: 3:30 a.m. local time
Source: Occultations of planets by moon 2009 – 2014
Featured image credit: ESO/S. Guisard
At their peak, the Perseids commonly produce 50 or more meteors per hour at mid-northern latitudes. The Perseids are also visible from the tropics and the subtropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere, but appreciably south of the equator, the number of Perseid meteors are fewer and farther between. That’s because the constellation Perseus – the radiant of the Perseid shower – climbs higher in the Northern Hemisphere sky. For everyone worldwide, the radiant is highest in the sky at or near dawn. That’s why the dark hours just before dawn usually produce the greatest number of Perseid meteors.
Where’s the radiant point for the Perseids?
You don’t have to find the constellation Perseus – or radiant point for the shower – to watch the Perseids. Simply find a dark, open sky away from the glare of city lights, lie down comfortably and enjoy the show. The meteors streak across any number of constellations in the lore-laden heavens. But if you trace the paths of the Perseid meteors backward, they seem to radiate the constellation Perseus, near the famous Double Cluster. Once again, you don’t need to locate the radiant to watch the shower.
Moon and Venus visible in daytime sky on Monday, August 13
After sunrise, sharp-eyed people will still be able to see Venus close to the moon. Shield out the sun – possibly by having a friend hold up an umbrella – and then look for the waning crescent moon. If you have exceptionally good vision, you’ll see Venus shining just east (left) of the moon.
If you can’t see Venus with the eyes alone, try binoculars – if you have them. In North America, the moon and Venus will occupy the same binocular field of view until moonset on Monday, August 13. (If you live in Asia, look for the moon and Venus to take stage in the same binocular field on Tuesday, August 14.) Just keep in mind that as the sun drifts westward throughout the day, the moon and Venus do likewise. Gauge the moon and Venus’ distance to the west of the sun at early morning to help you approximate the position of the moon and Venus later in the day.
As seen from almost all of North America, the moon will occult – cover over – Venus in the afternoon hours on Monday, August 13. Here in Austin, Texas, the lunar occultation of Venus will happen from 3:52 to 4:53 p.m. Central Daylight Time. At this time, the moon and Venus will be low in the western sky. (We give the local times of this occultation for other places around the globe at the bottom of the page.) Use binoculars or a low-powered telescope to watch Venus disappear behind the illuminated side of the moon and then to reappear on the dark side of the moon. Also, think photo opportunity.
In the world’s Eastern Hemisphere – northeast China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, northeast Russia – the moon will occult Venus in the morning hours on Tuesday, August 14. Again, we give the local times for some chosen places below. Click here to find out the occultation times for your sky in Universal Time.
How do I translate Universal Time into my time?
After you see the Perseid meteors tonight, and the moon and Venus in the predawn sky, try you luck at catching the lunar occulataion of Venus in the afternoon hours of Monday, August 13 in North America, or the morning hours of Tuesday, August 14 in eastern Asia. In North America, you’ll want to find an unobstructed western horizon because the moon and Venus will be close to the horizon at the time of the occultation. Click here to find the occultation times for your part of the world in Universal Time.
Local time for United States time zones on August 13
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Eastern Daylight Time)
Occultation begins: 4:40 p.m. EDT
Occultation ends: 5:09 p.m. EDT
Moon sets: 5:09 p.m. EDT
St Louis, Missouri (Central Daylight Time)
Occultation begins: 3:41 p.m. CDT
Occultation ends: 4:38 p.m. CDT
Moon sets: 5:08 p.m. CDT
Denver, Colorado (Mountain Daylight Time)
Occultation begins: 2:35 p.m. MDT
Occultation ends: 3:41 p.m MDT
Moon sets: 5:12 MDT
Fresno, California (Pacific Daylight Time)
Occultation begins: 1:32 p.m PDT
Occultation ends: 2:43 p.m. PDT
Moon sets: 5:05 p.m. PDT
Local occultation times for Eastern Hemisphere on August 14
Shanghai, China
Moonrise: 1:52 a.m. local time (occultation in progress at moonrise)
Occultation ends: 2:26 a.m. local time
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Moonrise: 2:05 a.m. local time (occultation in progress at moonrise)
Occultation ends: 2:55 a.m. local time
Seoul, South Korea
Occultation begins: 2:42 a.m. local time
Occultation ends: 3:37 a.m. local time
Tokyo, Japan
Occultation begins: 2:45 a.m. local time
Occultation ends: 3:30 a.m. local time
Source: Occultations of planets by moon 2009 – 2014
Featured image credit: ESO/S. Guisard