Constellations by month

Constellations of August

The five constellations at their best in August are Corona Australis, Lyra, Sagittarius, Scutum and Telescopium. The charts show the whole sky at 9 pm on August 15 from 40°N and 35°S. The Perseids and kappa Cygnids peak this month.

The sky at 9 pm in mid-August from 40°N SAGITTARIUS LYRA CORONA AUSTRALIS SCUTUM URSA MAJOR HERCULES PEGASUS DRACO AQUARIUS OPHIUCHUS BOÖTES CYGNUS CAMELOPARDALIS ANDROMEDA AQUILA SERPENS CASSIOPEIA CEPHEUS LIBRA SCORPIUS CANES VENATICI CAPRICORNUS COMA BERENICES VULPECULA URSA MINOR LACERTA DELPHINUS TRIANGULUM EQUULEUS N S E W
From 40°N (the United States, southern Europe, northern China, Japan). North at top; turn the chart so the direction you face is at the bottom.
The sky at 9 pm in mid-August from 35°S SAGITTARIUS LYRA TELESCOPIUM CORONA AUSTRALIS SCUTUM VIRGO HERCULES PEGASUS CENTAURUS AQUARIUS OPHIUCHUS AQUILA LIBRA CARINA SCULPTOR PHOENIX CAPRICORNUS PAVO GRUS LUPUS TUCANA OCTANS VULPECULA HOROLOGIUM HYDRUS ARA APUS DELPHINUS CORVUS DORADO CORONA BOREALIS MENSA VOLANS MUSCA CHAMAELEON RETICULUM CIRCINUS SAGITTA S N W E
From 35°S (Sydney, Cape Town, Buenos Aires). South at top; the center is overhead and the rim is the horizon.

Bright lines and names: constellations at their best in August. Gold dashes: the ecliptic, where the Moon and planets travel. 9 pm local standard time on August 15; the same view comes an hour earlier at the end of the month and an hour later at the start. Click a name to open its chart.

Corona Australis, Lyra, Sagittarius, Scutum and Telescopium are at their best in August

A constellation is at its best when it stands highest in the evening, due south from the northern hemisphere or due north from the southern. The last two columns give its height above the horizon at 9 pm in mid-August.

ConstellationMeaningHemisphereBrightest starMessierAt 40°NAt 35°S
Corona AustralisSouthern CrownSouthernMeridiana10°84°
LyraHarpNorthernVega280°25°
SagittariusArcherSouthernKaus Australis1515°78°
ScutumShieldSouthernAlpha Scuti237°67°
TelescopiumTelescopeSouthernAlpha Telescopiibelow horizon71°

Constellations more than 20° high at 9 pm in August

Measured at the center of each constellation. Large constellations can be partly visible when their center is lower.

From 40°N: 22 constellations

From 35°S: 36 constellations

Meteor showers peaking in August

Rates are the zenithal hourly rate, the count one observer would see under a dark sky with the radiant overhead; real counts are lower. Peak dates move by about a day from year to year.

ShowerPeakActiveRate per hourRadiantParent body
PerseidsAug 13Jul 17 - Aug 24100Perseus109P/Swift-Tuttle
kappa CygnidsAug 17Aug 3 - Aug 283Cygnus
eta EridanidsAug 7Jul 31 - Aug 193EridanusC/1852 K1 (Chacornac) (probable)
Northern iota AquariidsAug 20Aquarius
Southern PiscidsAug 31

Video: August stargazing

August Stargazing: Constellations and Meteor Showers · Watch on YouTube

Constellations month by month

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