The great thing about August is ...

August-- one good thing that we can say about this month is the rest of the year is downhill from here. Another good thing that we can say about August is the Perseid meteor shower.

Another thing that can be said about August is that it is arguably the hottest month of the year. Although we had several days of 100+ temperatures in July, it remains to see what August does.

Another good thing about August, is the nights are getting longer, which gives us more time for observing.

I guess we can call this column, "A Pocketful of Planets," because this month we will be able to see all five of the naked-eye planets in one evening, several evenings actually, as in for the rest of this week.

If we start tomorrow night, Aug. 4, we can use a slender crescent moon to find the elusive, tiny, speedy, planet Mercury. Look west about a half-hour after local sunset for the moon. Mercury will be just above the moon, binoculars will show them both in the same field of view (FOV).

Just be sure you have a totally unobscured western horizon to be able to find these objects.

The really bright object to the lower right of the moon/Mercury pair is the planet Venus. Venus is near the star Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion.

If you follow a line between Venus and Mercury you will find another planet, Jupiter.

This line is called the Ecliptic, it is the path the sun follows against the background stars. The planets and moon follow it too. That is why they are often seen near each other--like this time with the moon and Mercury, and the moon and Aldebaran last Friday morning.

Friday, Aug. 5, the moon moves on to stand near another bright planet, Jupiter.

We will be able to see the inner most planets, Mercury and Venus, for the next week or so. After which they will sink below the western horizon.

Although we will be discussing the Perseids in depth next week, it is good to be prepared. To view a meteor shower like the Perseids you will need a very dark-sky place far away from any city lighting that may interfere.

The viewing of the Perseids this year will be exciting for two reasons. One, the moon will be out of the sky and will not interfere, and two some predictors are telling us to expect a lot more meteors in the hourly-rate.

If that is the case, this is one Perseid shower we won't want to miss.

Sometimes it is nice to make it a real party, invite your friends and family, bring your favorite nonalcoholic beverages, some munchies, and a jacket or sweater, because the early morning hours can be quite chilly.

The more eyes viewing the sky makes for a better and more enjoyable experience.

SKY WATCH: The moon is new on Tuesday, Aug. 2, and of course new moon means no moon visible. Be sure to be outside looking for the moon/Mercury conjunction, tomorrow night. Best viewing time will be about a half-hour after local sunset.

NEXT WEEK: The Perseids are coming, the Perseids are coming, and more astronomical blathering.