Look Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

August 3:

Look for the waning gibbous Buck Moon near Saturn: Find our satellite next to the ringed gas giant in the constellation Pisces in the easter sky around 11:30PM
Comet 10P/Tempel reaches peak brightness in the constellation Capricornus low in the southeastern skies after 1:00 AM

August 4:

Dozens of Vietnam-era sea mines, like the one shown here exploding off the coast of Haiphong in 1973, detonated on Aug. 4, 1972, after a solar storm caused a magnetic field spike. Credit: United State Navy/Wikimedia

This Week in Astronomy History – August 4, 1972: One of the most intense solar storms ever recorded struck Earth on August 4, 1972. The coronal mass ejection traveled from the Sun to Earth in just 14.6 hours—a record at the time. Brilliant auroras were seen far south of their usual range, communications systems were disrupted, and magnetic disturbances were so strong that dozens of U.S. Navy sea mines off the coast of Vietnam detonated unexpectedly. Today, the event is considered one of the benchmark extreme space-weather storms against which modern solar-storm hazards are measured.

August 5:

DAS Astrophotography Special Interest Group (ASIG) – General & Beginner Meeting: Free, virtual, members’ only meeting via Zoom (check Slack and membership email for details): 7:00PM
Third-quarter Buck Moon: 8:21PM
Look for a spent Falcon 9 upper stage will impact the lunar surface. This event will occur on sunlit terrain at the eastern limb near the Einstein Crater as seen from Earth just after midnight at around 12:35

August 6:

🖥️ Standley Lake Stargazing: Weekly Livestream: Free Online program via Zoom: 6:00PM

August 7 (Dark Sky Weekend):

Look for the waning crescent Buck Moon in the Pleiades. Find a small sliver of moon hanging out in the beautiful open cluster in the constellation Taurus in the eastern sky around 1:00AM
🔭 Rocky Mountain National Park Star Party: Free, in-person event at 📍RMNP Park & Ride parking area: 8:30 PM

August 8 (Dark Sky Weekend):

Colorado Springs Astronomical Society Star Party: Free, in-person event at Mueller State Park Visitor Center: 8:30PM
Northern Colorado Astronomical Society: Starry Sky Soiree: Free, in-person event at Eagle’s Nest Open Space (registration required): 8:30PM
Westcliffe Star Party: Free, in-person event at Smokey Jack Observatory: 9:15 pm

August 9 (Dark Sky Weekend):

Look for the waning crescent Buck Moon next to Mars and Ceres. Find the tiny sliver of moon next to the red planet and the bright asteroid on the edge of Taurus and Gemini in the eastern sky around 2:45AM

This Week’s Solar System Summary:

The Sun rises about 6:07 AM at the start of the week and about 6:12 AM by Sunday, while sunset shifts from 8:06 PM to 7:59 PM. Denver loses a few more minutes of daylight each day as summer gradually gives way to autumn.
The Moon rises in the afternoon at the start of the week and shifts into the evening and overnight hours by the weekend, while moonset moves from the morning into the afternoon and evening.
Venus continues to dominate the evening sky, blazing brightly in the western twilight after sunset. It sets between 11:15 PM and 11:30 PM and remains easy to spot even before the sky becomes fully dark.
Mercury improves steadily in the predawn sky and can be found very low in the east before sunrise. A clear horizon and binoculars may help observers locate it in the bright twilight.
Jupiter emerges farther from the Sun and becomes easier to spot low in the eastern sky before dawn. Its observing window remains brief but improves throughout the week.
Saturn rises before sunset and is visible for most of the night. It reaches a favorable position by late evening and remains one of the best telescopic targets currently available.
Mars remains low in the eastern dawn twilight but is slowly becoming easier to observe as its separation from the Sun increases.
Uranus rises before midnight and is well placed for telescopic observation during the predawn hours.
Neptune rises in the evening and is visible throughout most of the night. With opposition approaching next month, it is becoming increasingly well positioned for observers using a telescope.

This Week’s Meteoric Activity:

You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.

Perseids (PER): Before dawn in Perseus: About 10–20 per hour as the shower rapidly builds toward its August 12–13 peak. These swift meteors are the highlight of the week.
Southern Delta Aquariids (SDA): After midnight in Aquarius: About 5–10 per hour. Activity is declining following the July 29–30 peak but still provides a steady source of meteors.
Alpha Capricornids (CAP): After midnight in Capricornus: About 1–3 per hour. Rates remain modest, but this shower continues to produce occasional bright fireballs.
Anthelion (ANT): 1:00 AM in Sagittarius: About 2 per hour.
Piscis Austrinids (PAU): After midnight in Piscis Austrinus: Less than 1 per hour. Activity is fading after its late-July maximum.
κ-Cygnids (KCG): Before dawn in Cygnus: Less than 1 per hour. Activity is increasing ahead of its August 17 peak.
ι-Aquariids North (IAN): After midnight in Aquarius: Less than 1 per hour. A minor shower contributing a few meteors during the morning hours.
ρ-Cygnids (RCY): Before dawn in Cygnus near Sadr: Less than 1 per hour. Occasional bright meteor possible.