1 00:00:00,799 --> 00:00:03,803 [♪] 2 00:00:03,836 --> 00:00:05,038 What's Up for August? 3 00:00:05,071 --> 00:00:07,073 See five planets after sunset 4 00:00:07,106 --> 00:00:09,142 and the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. 5 00:00:10,243 --> 00:00:11,944 Hello and welcome. I'm Jane Houston Jones from 6 00:00:11,977 --> 00:00:15,281 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. 7 00:00:15,314 --> 00:00:18,518 In case you missed the January/February 8 00:00:18,551 --> 00:00:21,087 five-planet lineup in the dawn sky, 9 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,289 you might have better luck this month. 10 00:00:23,322 --> 00:00:27,894 From August 4th through the 7th spot Venus, Mercury and Jupiter 11 00:00:27,927 --> 00:00:30,696 ━and the moon━low on the western horizon 12 00:00:30,729 --> 00:00:33,933 about 45 minutes after sunset. 13 00:00:33,966 --> 00:00:37,837 On the 20th, the three planets make a pretty triangle 14 00:00:37,870 --> 00:00:41,074 five to ten degrees above the horizon. 15 00:00:41,107 --> 00:00:45,711 Look in the south-southwest sky for a second planetary dance. 16 00:00:45,744 --> 00:00:48,548 Mars and Saturn are high and easy to see 17 00:00:48,581 --> 00:00:51,684 and are joined by the moon on August 11th. 18 00:00:51,717 --> 00:00:54,821 But wait, there are more planets, dwarf planets 19 00:00:54,854 --> 00:00:57,323 and an asteroid visible this month! 20 00:00:57,356 --> 00:01:00,393 Uranus and Neptune and dwarf planet Ceres 21 00:01:00,426 --> 00:01:03,563 are visible before dawn in the southern sky. 22 00:01:03,596 --> 00:01:06,466 You may see Uranus through binoculars 23 00:01:06,499 --> 00:01:10,269 but Neptune and Ceres require a telescope. 24 00:01:10,302 --> 00:01:13,372 Asteroid Pallas is visible high in the southern sky 25 00:01:13,405 --> 00:01:15,308 at the same time. 26 00:01:15,341 --> 00:01:19,112 Dwarf planet Pluto is still visible through a telescope 27 00:01:19,145 --> 00:01:21,514 after sunset in the southern sky. 28 00:01:21,547 --> 00:01:22,715 [Whoosh.] 29 00:01:22,748 --> 00:01:25,685 The constellation Perseus is visible in the northern sky 30 00:01:25,718 --> 00:01:27,353 soon after sunset. 31 00:01:27,386 --> 00:01:30,690 And the famous and reliably active Perseid meteor shower 32 00:01:30,723 --> 00:01:34,060 peaks in the morning hours of August 12th. 33 00:01:34,093 --> 00:01:36,095 The moon, which paired up so nicely with 34 00:01:36,128 --> 00:01:38,264 Mars and Saturn on the 11th, 35 00:01:38,297 --> 00:01:40,933 is bright enough to blot out some of the meteors, 36 00:01:40,966 --> 00:01:43,769 but-lucky for you━it sets about 1 a.m. 37 00:01:43,802 --> 00:01:46,405 on the morning of the 12th, just at the peak time 38 00:01:46,438 --> 00:01:48,608 for the best Perseid viewing. 39 00:01:48,641 --> 00:01:51,911 Though you'll see the most meteors after moonset 40 00:01:51,944 --> 00:01:54,080 on Friday morning August 12th, 41 00:01:54,113 --> 00:01:55,848 the days on either side of the peak 42 00:01:55,881 --> 00:01:57,650 have elevated rates too, 43 00:01:57,683 --> 00:02:00,286 and even a week before and after the 12th 44 00:02:00,319 --> 00:02:02,455 you'll see some Perseids. 45 00:02:02,488 --> 00:02:04,624 While waiting for the moon to set, 46 00:02:04,657 --> 00:02:07,059 and Perseus to climb higher in the sky, 47 00:02:07,092 --> 00:02:10,329 aim your binoculars at some of the beautiful nearby objects 48 00:02:10,362 --> 00:02:12,698 from within our Milky Way and beyond. 49 00:02:12,731 --> 00:02:15,668 The Milky Way's Perseus Double Cluster and the pretty 50 00:02:15,701 --> 00:02:19,272 globular clusters of Cassiopeia can all be spotted 51 00:02:19,305 --> 00:02:20,840 with the unaided eye. 52 00:02:20,873 --> 00:02:24,677 The Triangulum and Andromeda galaxies can also be spotted 53 00:02:24,710 --> 00:02:27,847 with the unaided eye, but binoculars and telescopes 54 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:29,749 reveal more detail. 55 00:02:29,782 --> 00:02:33,152 Catch up on current planetary missions and space telescopes 56 00:02:33,185 --> 00:02:36,722 studying our Milky Way and all of NASA's other missions 57 00:02:36,755 --> 00:02:39,892 at www.nasa.gov.