As the evenings draw in with autumn just around the corner, it is a wonderful time to sit back, while it is still warm enough, and watch the stars emerge one by one as night falls.
The Perseids meteor shower : Photo courtesy of Nasa
By the end of August the sun sets just after 7pm and by 8:30 it is quite dark. Not being near to a city Abergavenny is blessed with dark skies and is also close the Brecon Beacons National Park; that enjoys some of the darkest skies in the UK.
The Milky Way : Photo courtesy of Nasa
The August night sky is particularly beautiful with the Milky Way being very prominent. This hazy band of light running virtually overhead, from the northeast to the southwest horizon, is the galaxy that is home to our sun and all the stars that you can see.
Looking overhead there is a prominent bright blueish white star, this is Vega in the constellation of Lyra. Just to the east of Vega (left) is another prominent star that is part of a cross-shaped constellation, called Deneb, this is the tail of Cygnus, the swan. Cygnus is flying along the milky way and it is a delight to scan this part of the sky with a pair binoculars to view some of the myriad of stars comprising our galaxy. Below Vega and Deneb is another bright star, Altair. This is in the constellation of Aquila, the eagle. These stars make up the so called “summer triangle” which is useful in helping you to orientate.
On the evening of August 11th is a special treat, the Perseid meteor shower. These fast moving meteors or shooting stars come every year about this time. They are made from bits of dust from the tail of the comet Swift-Tuttle after it passed through this part of the earth’s orbit over a 1000 years ago. Lie back on the ground or a deck chair and simply look up. The meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. At the shower’s peak, sometime after midnight, you may see up to one meteor per minute.
If you have an interest in astronomy consider joining a society where you can meet others, from absolute beginners to experienced observers, that can help you to develop your interest. The Abergavenny Astronomy Society meets every month in the Kings Arms in Nevill Street, usually the second Monday in the month, check the website for details of the programme, abergavennyas.org.uk.
