Stargazer
August 2025
Compiled by John Panek
Editor's note: Apologies for the delay since the last Stargazer!
Monthly Highlights
A massive new eye on the night sky made its debut last month, with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory sharing first light images publicly. Formerly known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, it is located in the southern hemisphere high on the Chilean peak of Cerro Pachon. A three-mirror anastigmat with a collecting area of 380 square feet sends photons to the largest CCD ever constructed (3.2 gigapixels). Check out their images, download their Orbitviewer interactive visualization app, and watch a recording of the presentation event, all at https://rubinobservatory.org
The James Webb Space Telescope has directly imaged its first exoplanet, the Sautrn-mass TWA 7b. Orbiting a young red dwarf around 111 light years away, the planet is embedded within a debris disk and measures ~47 C in temperature (117 F) as it is still radiating heat from its formation. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09150-4
A wonderful new composite image of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) has been assembled from 5 spectral bands provided by multiple ground and orbital telescopes. Radio, Infrared, Optical, Ultraviolet, and X-ray light are combined into an image "released in tribute to the groundbreaking leagacy of Dr. Vera Rubin, whose observations transformed our understanding of the universe". See the individual images, the composite, and an interesting sonification where the light in each image is converted to a different range of notes that is played as a scan moves across the composite: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasas-chandra-shares-a-new-view-of-our-galactic-neighbor/?utm_source=ts2.tech
SCAS CELEBRATES
HONOR THE NIGHT
Ancient cultures measured time by the Moon's phases, the days of each cycle counted out. They knew when the Moon would wax and wane. Who today is aware whether the Moon is crescent, full or gibbous? We no longer honor the night sky. On a retreat with preteen students, far enough from city lights to see the cosmos, on a night when bright Venus cast a shadow, we asked them to turn off their flashlights, let their eyes adjust, Trust their steps in starlight. We honored the night sky.
Juliane Mc Adam, retired middle school language teacher, CA
Lunar Timetable
Last Quarter August 16
New Moon August 23 
First Quarter August 1
Full Moon August 9SOUTHERN CROSS OBSERVATION PAD
The popular free SOUTHERN CROSS OBSERVATION PAD HAS RE-OPENED in MIAMI-DADE BILL SADOWSKI Park! Come visit with us 7:30-10 p.m. Saturday's weather permitting. Bring `scopes & binocs, chairs, family, friends, colleagues, students, and bug repellent. Our SCAS Astros have introduced thousands to the awesome beauty of our seasonal night skies since 1986. Please dim headlights at the Park entrance SW 176 St./SW 79 Ave. 1/2 mile west of Old Cutler Road, Palmetto Bay 33157. The small parking lot is near the deck. Face masks are optional. Check the SCAS Facebook for weather/Holiday cancellations.
For astrophotography instruction visit our free D'AURIA outdoor observatory, Saturdays from dusk -10 P.M. 23325 SW 217 Avenue, Homestead 33031. Park outside the gate. No white lights, lanterns, lasers. litter, alcohol, or pets at both sites. For membership open www.scas.org
ENJOY SCAS PUBLIC STAR PARTIES: Weather permitting!
Saturday evenings dusk- 10 p.m.
SCAS Observation Pad in Miami-Dade Bill Sadowski Park SW 176 St./SW 79 Ave. Palmetto Bay 33157 free
D'Auria Observatory 23325 SW 217 Ave.dusk-10 p.m. astrophotograqphy information free No white lights, lanterns, lasers, litter, alcohol, or pets at either location.
METEOR SHOWERS THIS MONTH
PERSEIDS!!!
Dust from Comet Swift-Tuttle showers the Earth peaking on the night of August 12 with a ZHR of 100. This year the moon will be unfortunately at 84% full, reducing activity by around 75 percent as only the brighter meteors will be visible.
Open the link: News and Information about Meteor Showers
Here are some tips on how to maximize your time looking for meteors and fireballs during any meteor shower:
- Get out of the city to a place where the city and artificial lights do not impede your viewing
- If you are out viewing the shower during its peak, you will not need any special equipment. You should be able to see the shower with your naked eyes.
- Carry a blanket or a comfortable chair with you - viewing meteors, just like any other kind of stargazing is a waiting game, and you need to be comfortable. Plus, you may not want to leave until you can't see the majestic celestial fireworks anymore.
In case you missed it......
The 41st annual Winter Star Party was a great success! Many sleep-deprived but happy astronomers report: BEST PARTY EVER!
Don't take my word for it, read the first hand accounts over on Cloudy Nights: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/941985-winter-star-party-2025/page-3
BRIGHT COMETS THIS MONTH
Nothing visual or Binocular
3l/ATLAS is a new interstellar comet, but currently >18 magnitude. Unfortunately nothing observable unless you have a big telescope in a dark area.
SCAS EVENTS
SCAS HAM RADIO
Recently, member Dan Zuckerman replaced and upgraded his ham equipment. He was chatting with folks in Europe.
Do we have some retired, or new SCAS ham operators who would like to establish a SCAS radio dept?
It could become very convenient, or necessary in certain future conditions. Consider the astronomy information shared and maybe international SCAS members!
Contact Barb if you wish to link up with Dan. barbyager@aol.com.
SOLAR VIEWING
Weather permitting SCAS needs solar telescopes at the "front door" to ZooMiami 12400 SW 152nd st, starting this month
There will be large crowds of families. Please contact barbyager@aol.com ASAP if you can bring equipment, We are restoring our popular solarviewing events at ZooMiami.
Plans need to be made in advance. Updates will be sent out to members soon.
Interested to join our new solar team? Contact: barbyager@aol.com . If you have solar equipment or want to help, please send an email to Dr. Lester Shalloway with your information: drlester3@aol.com.
IN THE SKY
Mercury has its greatest elongation August 19 in the morning, at 19 degrees from the Sun
Venus and Jupiter join each other in the morning sky August 12 Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune parade across the morning sky on August 18
Six Planet Alignment! Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune parade across the morning sky on August 18
NASA/SPACE NEWS
ISRO's NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission launched July 30 is set to deploy its 9-meter long boom and 12-meter diameter drum-shaped reflector over the next week. The satellite will measure melting glaciers and polar ice sheets, shifting groundwater, motion and stress of lnd surfaces, and forest and wetland disruptions. Comparing radar signal as the observatory passes over the same locations twice every 12 days, changes as small as 1cm will be resolved beginning in October after commissioning.
NASA's TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellies) mission launched July 23. The twin satellites will study how the electrically-charged solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field. Five other small satellites were also comanifested studying various topics such as communications techniques between satellites, the Earth's radiation budget, tests of lower-cost components, and the movement of electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts
ISS - Miami Track
ISS Passes for Miami – only 8 good ones in August, 2 of them in the evening and 6 in the mornings
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Open the Link: News and Information about ISS passes over Miami.
Contribute
Have something interesting and astronomy related you would like to contribute? Send a brief 1-2 paragraph article to our Stargazer editor: 350.john@gmail.com
Clear Sky Clock
Evening
All month Mars is in the west, getting lower and very hard to see by end of the month, Saturn rises mid-evening in the east
Morning
All month Venus is in the predawn east
August 12 Six planets line up across the sky (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)
August 21 The Moon and Mercury have a conjunction
Constellations
(See https://noirlab.edu/public/education/constellations/ for excellent images and finder charts)
Bootes, the Herdsman, is home to a brilliant and well-known star Arcturus at -0.05 magnitude, the 4th brightest in the entire night sky. In Greek mythology he is the son of Zeus and Callisto. In other myths he invents the plow, seen as the nearby Big Dipper.