People often ask, “when is a good time to look at the stars”. Of course, I jokingly answer with a grin, “when it’s clear”.  After the chuckles subside, I continue to state, “any time of year – even winter”. The fear in their eyes when I mention the ‘W’ word, but yes it can be a great time to observe.

With early sunsets, one can begin observing after supper hour; just don’t forget to help with the dishes. Rising high in the northeast is our Hero of the night. In last month’s article, we saw how Perseus saved Andromeda moments before she was to meet her fate with the Sea Monster Cetus.

If you are in the process of planning some vacation this month, make sure you set aside a few days for summer night observing. With the Milky Way in all its glory overhead as seen from the countryside, far from city light domes, you will want to stay up till the first sign of astronomical twilight begins. The observing window for this month in which the Moon will not interfere will be from August 8th to 16th with new Moon occurs on the 12th.

For those who live in the desert, one must always be on guard of the dreaded scorpion. These creepy crawlers are seen on a yearly basis in arid areas of the globe including some parts of southern Alberta during summer. Of the more than 1,500 species know, most scorpions only delivered the equivalent to a bee sting and are not poisonous. However, for Canadian stargazers, the great scorpion makes its brief appearance in southern skies from May to September.