Mon Aug 17, 2026 NAME THAT CONSTELLATION - AUGUST
Can you identify the second largest constellation? It is bordered on the north by Boötes the Shepherd and Coma Berenices; on the south by Hydra and Corvus the Crow; on the west by Leo and Crater the Cup; and on the east by Libra and Serpens Caput. Planets have been discovered orbiting many of its stars, and a huge cluster of galaxies lies within its borders. In mythology this star figure is associated with the planting and harvesting seasons, and often portrayed as Persephone, daughter of the earth goddess Demeter. Sometimes this constellation represents Astraea, Winged Justice, who holds the scales of law, the constellation Libra. This evening the waxing crescent moon and the planet Venus lie on either side of its brightest star Spica. Can you name this constellation, the sixth sign of the zodiac? The answer is Virgo the Maiden.
Tue Aug 18, 2026 HELIUM DISCOVERED; SOLAR SAFETY
On August 18, 1868, the astronomer Pierre Janssen viewed the sun during a total solar eclipse and using a spectroscope, which is kind of like a prism, but with much more detail, he saw dark absorption lines in the sun’s spectrum that had never been seen before. Janssen had found a new element. It was named after Helios, the Greek sun god. That’s right, helium was discovered in the sun before it was found on earth, which makes sense, as helium is so light that unless it’s trapped in the earth or contained in a balloon, it leaks out into space! A word of caution: don’t stare at the sun as it can blind you. Only with proper solar filters, or during the brief moments of totality of a solar eclipse is it safe to view the sun; and if you never leave Florida, you won’t see a total solar eclipse until August 12, 2045!
Wed Aug 19, 2026 STELLAR SHOCK WAVES: HERBIG-HARO OBJECTS
Today’s Skywatch was written by my student assistant, Isabella Gargiulo. We recently experienced the Perseid meteor shower, a yearly event named after the constellation it occurs in: Perseus, the mythical hero who rescued the Princess Andromeda. Not only is Perseus home to shooting stars, but it also contains lots of real stars, freshly made. Surrounding these protostars are luminous Herbig-Haro objects, which form from raging stellar shockwaves that collide with nearby areas of gas and dust found in the surrounding nebula. They look like glowing streaks extending out from their central star, spreading out into space. HH 797 is an example of one of these striking formations. Astronomers have recently found that this Herbig-Haro object surrounds two newborn stars that orbit each other.
Thu Aug 20, 2026 SUMMER BEEHIVE CLUSTER
Today’s Skywatch was written by planetarium assistant Vela De la Mare. Due south this evening, there’s a patch of sky with a few lesser-known secrets. The hidden “13th zodiac constellation,” Ophiuchus, is nestled between the more well-known constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius. As the Earth rotates over thousands of years, it wobbles or precesses a bit on its axis. This has nudged our view of the stars from when the zodiac was first formed – and it nudged it enough that now Ophiuchus rests on the ecliptic – the path of the Sun and planets through our sky. Within Ophiuchus, a summertime rival to the winter night’s famous Beehive Cluster can be found. IC 4665, aptly known as the summer beehive cluster, is a dazzling array of young blue-white stars. In a dark sky, it can faintly be seen with the naked eye, but a simple pair of binoculars are where it really shines.
Fri Aug 21, 2026 KRAKATOA
On August 27, 1883, the volcano called Krakatoa exploded, creating the loudest sound ever heard in recorded history. Australians, nearly 3,000 miles away, heard it. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives, either from the heat of the blast or from falling debris, or from the resulting tsunamis. Shock waves traveled around the world, and volcanic ash blanketed thousands of miles of the earth. For the next year, the earth’s average temperature dropped by over a couple of degrees Fahrenheit because of all the ash thrown into the upper atmosphere. It also brought months of colorful sunsets across the planet. In 1927 a new mountain emerged from the caldera, and was named Anak Krakatau, the “child of Krakatoa.” In December 2018, it also erupted, and more tsunamis caused more death and devastation throughout Indonesia; Anak Krakatau is still active.
