Throughout the month of June we have been able to witness great astronomical events , such as the recent strawberry moon , but now that July has already begun, we can take advantage of our vacations in this month, or in August, to enjoy the observation of the stars and other events that will undoubtedly leave us amazed at the beauty of our sky at night . These are the astronomical events that you should not miss in the summer of 2021.
The astronomical events that you should not miss in the summer of 2021
On June 21, the summer solstice took place, which marks the longest day of the year and the first day of summer and the beginning of a season that for the vast majority implies a time of relaxation and the opportunity to finally enjoy the desired vacation .
If you are also fond of astronomy or want to enjoy a summer night much more, nothing like looking up at the sky on the indicated days and thus witnessing truly amazing astronomical shows or events that occur precisely over the next few weeks. .
Get ready then, even have a telescope handy, because these are the astronomical events you shouldn’t miss this summer.
July 12: Venus-Mars conjunction
These two planets will meet at the top and appear to kiss in the night sky (very fitting, considering that in Roman and Greek mythology, Venus and Mars, or Aphrodite and Ares in ancient Greece, were known to be lovers). According to National Geographic, the pair of planets will be so close to Earth that they will be visible through a simple telescope and will look like an ultra-bright star with the naked eye.
August 12 and 13: the Perseids.
Shooting stars every August make the sky over the Northern Hemisphere magical. Keep in mind that the event, also called “Tears of Saint Lawrence”, will begin on July 17 and end on August 24, and its peak will occur around August 12 . A popular event and quite surprising when you consider that it can produce up to 60 shooting stars per hour.
August 18: Mars-Mercury conjunction
Mercury seems to be a bit jealous of all the attention Venus has gotten from Mars. To compensate, the planet Mars will have its conjunction with Mercury at sunset on August 18 . At that time, the two planets will also appear to touch in the sky.
August 22: Blue Moon
It seems fitting that the epic astrological events of summer end with a blue moon. The additional full moon of the season is known as the blue moon. It’s a rare astrological event that only happens once every 2.7 years, so it will be great to go out and see what the moon looks like on this day .
