astronomy
The Night Sky
By Clair Wardla e w
Claire Wardlaw, originally from Edinburgh, lives in the Charente with her husband. Since their move nearly 6 years ago, Claire has become passionate about astronomy
WHETHER YOU ARE NEW TO STARGAZING OR HAVE EXPERIENCE EXPLORING THE DARK SKIES HERE IN FRANCE, YOU CAN FIND SOME HOPEFULLY INTERESTING DETAILS IN MY MONTHLY ARTICLE ABOUT WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR DURING AUGUST.
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very special national astronomy event is planned for the first week of the month, while the Moon is tucked away. You can find more details about this on our new Facebook page 'Astronomy and Astrophotography France'. The beautiful bright planet of Venus will be particularly easy to spot while Saturn and Jupiter are very well placed throughout the month. One of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year, 'The Perseids', will be well worth losing a little sleep over. Why not plan a meteor spotting party with a few friends?! Les Nuits des Étoiles 2021 After a very difficult wait due to the many restrictions we have all had to experience, it will again be possible for 'Les Nuits des Etoiles' to happen across France this month. From the 6th to the 8th many towns and villages will host a great stargazing event. This annual astronomy event has happened around France since 1991. Members of the public can explore the Moon, Planets, stars and many deep sky objects throughout the event using a wide range of telescopes and binoculars with expert guides pointing the way. I will be helping out with my telescope again at the local event here in Villejoubert in the Charente. To find an event near you or for more information, go to the site www.afastronomie.fr/lesnuits-des-etioles or look on Facebook for Association Française d'Astronomie.
starting in the east and moving towards the west; −
Andromeda, with its 'Square of Pegasus' being the most obvious formation.
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Cygnus, the swan heading south and almost directly overhead, with the star Albireo marking the point of the swan's head
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Hercules, where on a clear night you may be able to see M13 the beautiful Globular cluster set within the 'keystone'
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Capricornus, much lower on the southern horizon and where you can find the planet Saturn
You could make use of a planisphere, or star chart, to help orientate your way across the skies to search for these constellations. Positions will of course change slightly as the month progresses. A great free app you can use on a computer or mobile phone is 'Stellarium'.
Constellations to look out for in August Facing south after dark, a few of the main constellations you can try to spot are;
46 etcetera
The Moon and Planets With the 'New Moon' falling on the 8th the few days either side of
this will be the best and darkest nights for observing. With the bright light of the Moon out of the way we can see far more stars and perhaps even spot other deep sky objects. The Full Moon - or Full Sturgeon Moon - will be on the 22nd. Venus, while lower on the western horizon, will be especially bright this month. You can see it blazing away (magnitude -4.0) in the twilight. A very
