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A sky chart showing the eastern sky on August 9, 2026, one hour before sunrise. A crescent Moon glows near the top center with Mars just to its right. The twin stars Castor and Pollux are visible in the middle left, Betelgeuse glows orange to the right, and Mercury appears as a faint point low near the horizon. The sky fades from deep black above to a dark twilight glow near the horizon.

The Sky Today on Sunday, August 9: The Moon and Mars

A telescopic photograph showing NGC 6818, the Little Gem Nebula, as a small, vivid teal-blue planetary nebula set among a field of orange and white foreground stars against a black sky. A faint satellite trail is visible as a short diagonal streak in the upper right portion of the image.

The Sky Today on Saturday, August 8: Sagittarius’ Little Gem

A photograph of a total solar eclipse capturing the diamond ring effect, where a single brilliant point of sunlight blazes on the right side of the Moon's silhouette just as totality ends, surrounded by the softly glowing white corona. Several pink solar prominences are visible along the Moon's edge, and a warm golden glow fans out around the right side of the disc against a black sky.

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How to see the August 12 total solar eclipse

A sky chart showing the eastern sky on August 7, 2026, at 12:30 A.M. EDT. A crescent Moon is shown in close proximity to the Pleiades star cluster, both labeled and visible near the center of the image against a deep dark sky. The sky fades slightly to a lighter tone near the dark horizon.

The Sky Today on Friday, August 7: A lunar occultation of the Pleiades

A photograph of a total solar eclipse at totality, showing the Moon as a dark disc completely blocking the Sun, surrounded by the softly glowing white solar corona against a black sky. Several small pink solar prominences are visible along the edge of the Moon.

Sky This Week, The Sky This Week

The Sky This Week from August 7 to 14: A solar eclipse and shooting stars

A sky chart showing the eastern sky on August 6, 2026, one hour before sunrise. Mercury glows as a bright yellowish point low on the horizon near the center. The twin stars Castor and Pollux are labeled above and to the left, and the sky fades from deep blue-black above to a warm twilight gradient near the dark treeline silhouette along the bottom.

The Sky Today on Thursday, August 6: Mercury moves south of Pollux

Saturn and moons on August 5, 2026, at 4 AM EDT

The Sky Today on Wednesday, August 5: Iapetus at superior conjunction

A wide-field telescopic photograph of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) region, showing sweeping clouds of red and pink hydrogen emission gas interwoven with dark dust lanes against a densely star-filled background. A bright concentration of stars is visible along the left edge, and the characteristic shape of the nebula's dark "Gulf of Mexico" region is visible as a dark void near the center.

Astrophotography

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The path of asteroid Bamberga in August 2026

The Sky Today on Tuesday, August 4: Asteroid Bamberga on the move

A sky chart showing the southern sky on August 3, 2026, at 4:30 A.M. The crescent Moon is visible near the top center, with Saturn labeled just to its left. Neptune is highlighted with a red dashed circle just below and to the right of the Moon. The star Fomalhaut is labeled in the lower right. The sky is deep blue-black with a faint twilight glow near the dark horizon.

The Sky Today on Monday, August 3: A solar system trio

A sky chart showing the eastern sky on August 2, 2026, one hour before sunrise. Mars glows as a warm orange point in the upper center of the image. The twin stars Castor and Pollux are visible in the middle left, Mercury shines brightly just above the horizon in the lower center, and the red supergiant star Betelgeuse is visible to the right. The sky fades from deep blue above to a warm twilight glow near the treeline silhouette.

The Sky Today on Sunday, August 2: Mercury at greatest western elongation

A wide-angle night sky photograph taken at a star party, showing a bright Perseid meteor streaking diagonally across the upper portion of the frame with a vivid green and white trail. The foreground shows an open field with several telescopes set up, observers lit by red lights to preserve night vision, cars, a small white building, and a treeline silhouetted against a faint twilight glow on the horizon. A red tent is partially visible in the lower left.

How to watch a meteor shower