Calendar
Moon at Perigee
Every month, the Moon’s eccentric orbit carries it to perigee, the Moon’s closest point to Earth in its orbit – then 2 weeks later, to apogee, its most distant point from Earth.
Conjunction of Venus & Regulus
The planet Venus will appear a little over 1° from the star Regulus at sunset on July 21st.
Mercury at Perihelion
The planet Mercury is a Perihelion (its closest approach to the Sun) on July 23rd.
Piscis Austrinids
The Piscis Austrinids are a faint Meteor Shower that radiate from an area to the west of the brightest star Fomalhaut in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus - the southern […]
St. Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Jesuits.
Ignatius of Loyola (Basque: Ignazio Loiolakoa; Spanish: Ignacio de Loyola; Latin: Ignatius de Loyola; c. 23 October 1491 – 31 July 1556) was a Spanish Basque Catholic priest and theologian, who co-founded the religious order called the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and became its first Superior General at […]
Last Quarter Moon
The Moon is at Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – rising around midnight, and visible to the south after sunrise.
St Dominic, Patron of Astronomers, d. 1221
The liturgical celebration of St Dominic is on August 6 which is his deathday, in 1221 - his birthday is August 8.
Many sources state that St Dominic is the patron saint of astronomy and astronomers.
Perseids Meteor Shower
The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. The Perseids are active from July 17 to August 24, peaking on August 12 - 13.