Peak Perseid meteor shower and other cosmic delights in August’s night sky

Montreal Planetarium scientific activities coordinator Loic Quesnel says there are many opportunities to check out the Perseids meteor shower.

Montreal skygazers may want to take a stroll outside on Tuesday night, find a dark spot and look up.

The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak activity on Aug. 12, but Montreal Planetarium scientific activities coordinator Loic Quesnel said that if you miss it tonight, don’t worry.

“We tend to think that the Perseids are only to be seen within two or three days during August, but actually can start seeing some meteors before that, and we will see some other meteors after that,” he said.

For ideal night sky viewing, gazers are always advised to avoid light pollution. One issue on Tuesday night is that the moon is currently at 88 per cent.

“The moon will be very bright, so it creates its own natural light pollution, and you can’t fight against that, but you have to compose with that that’s the way it is.”

Of course, the Perseid meteors aren’t the only thing to see in the night sky.

“If, for any reason, you don’t see that much of the Perseids, it’s not such a big problem because you get to observe the sky, so you get to get familiar with the stars that you can see,” said Quesnel. “Even from a city, you can observe the moon. You can observe planets.”

The dance of planets, Dumbbell Nebula and Kappa Cygnids

Even for those who don’t get an eyeful of Perseids, there are many celestial events in the night sky in August.

• Aug. 13-26 - Venus will appear just to the south of Jupiter and will be visible just before sunrise at around 5 a.m. A similar event will occur on Aug. 20. Mercury will join the dance on Aug. 21, and Mars will show up Aug. 26, just after sunset. Saturn rises around 8:30 p.m. throughout the month and can be seen high in the south before sunrise.
• Aug. 14 - Though the “full sturgeon moon” passed on Aug. 9, the moon will be closest it comes to the earth on Thursday.
• Aug. 17 - Though much harder to see, the Kappa Cygnids meteor shower will be at its peak at around 8:55 p.m.
• The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) appears high overhead in the first half of the night in the Summer Triangle.

The Planetarium is holding a sky watch gathering with telescopes on Tuesday night from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. for those wanting to gather with fellow cosmic appreciators.