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Several astronomical events will take place over the skies of Cibola in the month of August. According to AccuWeather, these events will range from a supermoon to a convergence of the moon and Mars. Courtesy Photo
A series of astronomical events will take place in the skies over Cibola County this month. Cibola is a prime location to do skygazing any night, with limited light pollution, the skies are crystal clear and offer enchanting views of the Milky Way Galaxy and the many constellations.
August 2022 will offer views which will not be seen again until 2023. Look to the night sky this month for great views of nature’s majestic beauty. AccuWeather, a national weather service, alerted the Cibola Citizen to these coming events.
August 11
The “Dog Days of Summer” officially come to an end. These so called, “Dog Days” are named for the period of time when the star named “Sirius” rises and sets with the sun. This period of time started on July 3 and will end Aug. 11. Ancient people often thought of the “Dog Days of Summer” as adding heat to the day due to the starlight.
2022 will have three supermoons. The third and final supermoon will shine bright on Aug. 11. The next supermoon will not be visible until Summer 2023. August’s supermoon, known as the Sturgeon Moon – because of the abundance of Sturgeon fish in The Great Lakes at this time of year – will literally outshine the next astronomical spectacle.
The Perseid Meteor Shower returns to the night sky, this meteor shower will fall short of expectations due to the brightness of the moon on Aug, 11. When conditions are perfect, sky gazers can usually see up to 100 shooting stars per hour, but the supermoon will make it difficult to see this year’s shower which will end on Aug. 12.
August 19
Early morning risers will see the convergence of the moon and planet Mars. Just before sunrise of Aug. 19, Cibola residents will have the opportunity to see as the moon and Mars appear extremely close. The constellation Orion will be visible next to the convergence.
Through the Month
The planet Saturn will be visible to the naked eye this month as August marks the best chance to see the planet and its rings. This August, Saturn will be brighter in the sky than at any point in the rest of the year. Stargazers will not need a telescope to see Saturn this month, but using one – or even a pair of binoculars – would reveal the breathtaking rings. Many modern camera-equipped cell phones will be able to capture the Saturn’s rings.
Cibola’s skies will be full of astronomical activities this month, don’t miss out on the chance to see these star-spectacles.