Night sky map August 2018 North STAR BRIGHTNESS Zero or brighter Deneb 1st magnitude nd CYGNUS 2 NE CANES VENATICI rd Vega 3 LYRA NW 4th CORONA BOREALIS HERCULES BOOTES VULPECULA Arcturus SAGITTA COMA BERENICES DELPHINUS SERPENS Altair Barnard’s star EQUULEUS OPHIUCHUS AQUILA First quarter Jupiter Moon on 18th SCUTUM SERPENS VIRGO LIBRA P Zubenelgenubi P Saturn Spica Venus on East Mars P Antares the 21st SAGITTARIUS Centre of the Galaxy M6 CORVUS P M7 CAPRICORNUS SCORPIUS NGC 6231 Teapot CRATER West LUPUS AQUARIUS CORONA AUSTRALIS MICROSCOPIUM NORMA Centaurus A ARA Omega Centauri TELESCOPIUM CENTAURUS CIRCINUS PISCIS AUSTRINUS Alpha Centauri Hadar POINTERS INDUS Jewel Box Mimosa PAVO TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE SOUTHERN CROSS HYDRA Coalsac CRUX APUS GRUS MUSCA ANTLIA OCTANS South Celestial Pole 47 Tucanae CHAMAELEON VELA TUCANA SMC SCULPTOR CHART KEY MENSA CARINA PYXIS SE PHOENIX HYDRUS VOLANS Bright star Faint star Achernar LMC SW Ecliptic Milky Way MOON PHASE Celestial Equator DORADO Last quarter 05th RETICULUM New Moon 11th P Planet PUPPIS LMC or Large Magellanic Cloud HOROLOGIUM Canopus First quarter 18th SMC or Small Magellanic Cloud South Full Moon 26th THE CHART HIGHLIGHTS IN AUGUST 2018 The star chart shows the stars and constellations visible in The best time to look at the moon with a small the night sky for Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart telescope or binoculars is a few days either side of its and Adelaide for August at about 7:30 pm (local standard first quarter phase, which falls on the 18th. This month time). For Darwin and similar northerly locations the chart there are four bright planets in the evening sky: Jupiter will still apply, but some stars will be lost off the southern in the north in the constellation Libra, Saturn in the edge while extra stars will be visible to the north. Stars northeast in the constellation of Sagittarius, Mars in down to a brightness or magnitude limit of 4.5 are shown the east in the constellation of Capricornus and on the star chart. To use this star chart, rotate the chart so Venus, in the constellation of Virgo. High in the sky are that the direction you are facing (north, south, east or west) the constellations Sagittarius (the Archer), Scorpius is shown at the bottom. The centre of the chart represents (the Scorpion) and Crux (the Southern Cross). When the point directly above your head, called the zenith point, viewing the night sky from a dark location, it may be and the outer circular edge represents the horizon. possible to see the white glow of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Sydney Observatory is part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. The Sydney Observatory night sky map was created by Dr M. Anderson using the TheSky software. This month’s edition was prepared by Melissa Hulbert. © 2018 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney. .