SkyCaramba

Saturn's at opposition.

Venus is near Porrima, whose name refers to a goddess of prophecy and normal, headfirst births.

Mars passes by Propus in the feet of Gemini.

And some observers get to see the moon pass in front of Antares.

Mercury's at greatest elongation this week. Saturn's at opposition next week. You can see these planets on opposite sides of the sky.

Venus is in the evening sky. The moon passes in front of Spica.

Some people have claimed that Abraham Lincoln was so desperate to win a hopeless court case he fabricated evidence. Astronomy then and now can prove he was as honest as his reputation holds.

It's been more than four decades since a mysterious signal seemingly came from somewhere in Sagittarius. No signal like it has ever been found again. It didn't seem to contain any information.

Mercury's in conjunction with the sun. Venus slowly heads deeper into the evening sky. The moon hides Saturn. Mars continues on its way after passing Jupiter.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks. Start looking for eclipses of Algol again. Mercury is near Regulus. Venus is nearby. Mars and Jupiter rise after midnight.

One of the modern constellations is named for a device you would use to look at stars to figure out where you are. The first sextants were as big as buildings. Eventually, handheld sextants were invented.

Mercury and Venus pass each other this week. Mars and Jupiter are close to the Hyades.

Perseid meteors are a possibility. Mercury begins its retreat from the evening sky. The solar cycle may be peaking sooner rather than later. And the lunistice keeps getting farther from the equator.

The Hyades feature prominently in the morning sky watching these days. The asterism's bright star Aldebaran is likened to a torch. Mars shines in a similar color nearby. In the evening, Mercury is at greatest elongation and draws close to Regulus.

A comet may be visible in binoculars this month. It's always hard to speculate just how bright any of these objects will become. See Mars pull away from the Hyades.

How far away would the sun have to be to blend in with the stars at night. Here are some answers to how far away the sun would be to shine as bright as the full moon, Venus, and various stars.