I remember staying up late this time of the year to see the Pleiades in Taurus. It’s kind of interesting to see fall constellations in summer. One advantage of it is that the night air is cool and fresh and often you feel invigorated. I like it that the sun sets earlier in August than it does in May or June, although the spring and early summer may have more clear nights. In any event it’s fun to see the constellations of two or three months in the future by staying up late at night. 🙂

I am not a night person, rather I'm an early-bird person, so have enjoyed seeing the Pleiades on my recent morning walks, high in the east. And this morning, for the first time this season, I saw brilliant Venus rising in the lower south-eastern sky—beautiful and bright. It was really lovely to see this planet again. There was a star below Procyon, and to the left of Sirius, closer to the horizon I did not recognize. Must try and find out what that is.

The sun does not rise until 6:43, an hour later than it did at its earliest time in June, so I can again get most of my walk in under the night sky, with the dawn gradually lightening in the lower east.  

@jo, your comments inspired me to get up in the wee hours to look for Venus and Sirius, though the wildfire smoke moved in again last night, dimming the stars, Jupiter, and the Moon, so I didn't set an alarm for this morning.

But I was lucky to wake up shortly before 6 am, so I dashed outside. Twilight was pretty strong (sunrise here was at 6.32), but I was pleased to spot both Sirius and Venus for the first time this season. I didn't see much else (other than bright Jupiter high in the south) due to the strong twilight, and I was unable to see Orion or Procyon in the hazy dawn. But what fun seeing Venus and Sirius again!

The full moon is so bright and beautiful early this morning and when I saw it last night. This was supposed to be a “blue moon” since there were two full moons in this month, which is a rare event, and of course it doesn’t refer to the true color of the moon. I think this is one of the most beautiful full moons that I have ever seen. Although the moon often interferes with your ability to see faint stars I still find it a celestial object to love and admire. It isn’t always the same since it seems much closer to me than usual this time, although it does have a normal cycle of varying distances. I always love to see a landscape bathed in moonlight. 🙂

Posted by: @stargazer

But I was lucky to wake up shortly before 6 am, so I dashed outside. Twilight was pretty strong (sunrise here was at 6.32), but I was pleased to spot both Sirius and Venus for the first time this season. ... But what fun seeing Venus and Sirius again!

Wonderful! It made me really smile to read this.  

Indeed, @narnian78, I saw the full 'Blue Moon' this morning between 5:30 and 6:45, on my walk. It was huge and beautiful as it moved toward the west to set.

Posted by: @narnian78

Although the moon often interferes with your ability to see faint stars I still find it a celestial object to love and admire. ... I always love to see a landscape bathed in moonlight.

Ditto to your final sentence there. The Moon shadows were so distinct pre-dawn this morning, and to see that full Moon shining through the trees and on the darkened lands was stunning, as always.

Re the light of the Moon hindering night sky viewing, truly! In fact, I find that even a half or crescent Moon, if no clouds are on high, is bright enough to both cast shadows on the earth and dim any nearby stars. This morning, Saturn was still visible to the lower right of the Moon, but dimmed compared to a couple of weeks ago when the night sky was much darker at the New Moon.

So, I had made a mistake as to which object was Procyon. It was the star I was wondering about. Right between Sirius and Gemini. Anyway, I've got it straight now.  

Orion, as always, was stunning as it continues to rise higher in the SE. And that bright eye of Venus is wonderfully striking. Apparently it is a crescent now, and so dazzling. The Summer Triangle and Cygnus are slipping lower in the NW. In fact, I cannot spot Altair anymore. It's in the haze on the edge of the western horizon. It has been fun seeing Venus rise in the east, as Jupiter is high in the south, even as Saturn starts setting in the west. One huge arc from east to west. Beautiful!

Posted by: @narnian78

Although the moon often interferes with your ability to see faint stars I still find it a celestial object to love and admire...I always love to see a landscape bathed in moonlight.

I'll echo Jo's ditto here. The Moon has been so pretty the past few days. Last night I stepped out just after it rose, and saw it through a gap in the trees. It was deep orange and round and framed by trees - just beautiful. And during the night I enjoyed its light filtered through the leaves.

(If I'm planning a trip to a remote area for dark-sky observing, I'll try to schedule it around the new moon phase, but the rest of the time I enjoy watching the changing face of the moon each season).

Meteorological autumn/fall begins today, but with the heat coming this weekend I'll probably be outside most at night rather than during those 100F days!

This is a good time of the year to observe Beta Cygni, also known as Albireo.  It is one of the most beautiful double stars in the sky with the colors gold and blue.  It is easy to find in Cygnus, which is a lovely constellation with the Milky Way in the background. Deneb, which is in the Summer Triangle, is near it in the late summer evening sky. The area is well worth observing with binoculars and a small telescope. It is so intriguing to watch the transition in the night sky from the late summer to early autumn. 🙂

This is an interesting article:

https://www.seetheglory.com/double-star-beta-cygni-albireo/

Here is another excellent article from Astronomy magazine with beautiful photography:

https://www.astronomy.com/science/strange-universe-space-colors/

Albireo is definitely beautiful! I recall some people calling it the "Boy Scout" star as blue and gold are associated with the Scouts.

The past few weeks have been very hot but I'm looking forward to stargazing now that cooler weather is finally on our doorstep.

This past Labor Day weekend, Ryadian and some family and friends went on their annual camping trip to a park west of town, and I joined them for the campfire Friday evening. But after dark (which is arriving earlier every day now!), some people in a nearby campsite started pointing at the sky and talking rather loudly about something "weird" going on. The description made me think of a Starlink parade, but by the time I got out from under the trees to a place with a good view to the east, I caught only a few straggler satellites just below the Summer Triangle. But I wouldn't have seen anything there without others wondering what was going on the sky.

Ryadian and some others also spent Saturday night at the park and reported another satellite parade then.

I was out in our sauna-like weather this morning around 6am and was impressed with how spectacular Venus is right now.

Thanks for those links re Albireo, @narnian78. What a beautiful double star! As Cygnus has nearly disappeared in the northern sky from view on my early morning walks, I am now only able to see Deneb and, barely, Sadr. However, in August, Albireo was quite clear ... if I got out early enough while it was still dark. 

Posted by: @stargazer

and as impressed with how spectacular Venus is right now.

Isn't it wonderful?!! A burning eye in the eastern heavens. What a sight every morning!

Interesting about the neighbouring campers spotting the Starlink parade! And cool that Rya saw them the next night.

This morning I had a special treat, which was also my aim, given clear skies. I was out walking at 5:45, and a half hour into the walk, I looked to the east to try to spot Mercury lower on the twilit horizon. Sure enough, there it was! I was 'warned' by Sky & Telescope not to confuse Regulus with Mercury, so had taken note of that. Besides, Regulus, in Leo, was too high (to the lower left of Venus). Mercury was visible for just over a half hour, although those final few minutes it would have been almost impossible to spot in the growing dawn, unless one knew exactly where to look. So, three planets are clearly visible now in the pre-dawn hour: Mercury (lower east), Venus (higher east) , Jupiter (high in the south).

By 6:50, out of all the many stars that were visible when I started out an hour earlier, only Venus, Sirius, and Jupiter could be seen. The dawn was strong by that time, with the sun rising at 7:07 EDT.

The Square of Pegasus is sinking lower in the west. Mighty Orion marches in the south. It was nice to see the Big Dipper again, tipped on its handle in the north, as during August it was so low that it was often hidden in the haze of the earth, although I usually was able to see its handle, with a bit of straining.  

So many weeks ahead with great night sky views in cool weather. This really is the best time of year (imho).  

@jo 

You’re very welcome, Jo. Albireo is one the sky’s most beautiful double stars. And Cygnus, the Swan, is one of my favorite constellations with its lovely background of the Milky Way and its distant glow.  I remember observing it many years ago in late summer and early fall, which are some of the most interesting transition times of the year. I always liked the fresh cool air of autumn nights. 🙂

Posted by: @narnian78

I always liked the fresh cool air of autumn nights. 

Nothing like that fresh, crisp, earthy, bonfire-scented air when the stars are so vivid and clear, compared to the humid nights of summer.

I have had quite a few cloud-covered walks lately, but this morning, the clouds were intermittent, which provided some really lovely views, including the huge, full Harvest Moon sinking into the West. Wow, a stunning sight, as it weaved its way through clouds, showing off a beautifully, almost eerie, scene. The lower eastern sky was clear, so I was able to see Mercury rising for most of my walk; 'twas was only the last few minutes it had vanished from sight in the dawn's growing light. In clear wells of the sky, I spotted, very briefly, Venus, but hardly anything else, as the clouds were heavy high in the east, south, and west.

A lovely description, Jo.

We've had lots of clouds and rain lately (uncharacteristic of this summer) so I have yet to spot Mercury or Regulus.

We've had some spectacular thunderstorms the past few nights (including a lightning-caused house fire in a nearby suburb and a half-hour power outage last night), so I was surprised about 5:30 this morning to see a sliver of moonlight shining in the window. But when I stepped outside to look, the overcast was still strong, with a tiny opening that allowed the Moon to shine through briefly.

Posted by: @stargazer

so I have yet to spot Mercury or Regulus.

Hopefully soon! I did notice on my walk this morning that Mercury is a fair bit further below Regulus than it was even last week. I spotted it in that eastern dawn until about 25 minutes before sunrise. But by then, unless one knew exactly where to look, it was very dim. It was fun seeing Venus kind of hugged on its left by the front part of Leo.

At that time, too, compared to an hour before, it's like a dimmer switched was turned out over the entire sky as the dawn grew. I could see Orion still, but it was vanishing quickly. The three musketeers—Venus (east), Sirius (south), Jupiter (SW)—were the only obvious orbs at that time.

The Big Dipper was standing on its handle in the NE, and my eyes are peeled to see when Arcturus will finally be visible above the horizon.

Posted by: @stargazer

(including a lightning-caused house fire in a nearby suburb ... )

Oh dear!!!

Posted by: @stargazer

the overcast was still strong, with a tiny opening that allowed the Moon to shine through briefly.

That would have been pretty!

Last night at our campfire, we saw the huge, orange Moon through the trees rising in the east. What a wondrous sight, almost mysterious.

The other night I attended a concert of The Planets by Gustav Holst. I remember hearing this piece of music for the first time many years ago as background music in a planetarium. The concert I attended on Saturday night was sold out so people do love that piece of music. It was offered along with Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, which is another one of my favorites that I own on CD. If you love music composed for astronomy it is a lovely selection you’ll want to hear over and over again. This is the beautiful CD that I own:

The music was also used as background music in the Focus on the Family’s Narnia radio drama of Voyage of the Dawn Treader. 🙂

I especially enjoy Mars and Jupiter from The Planets. (A friend noted a lot of similarities between Mars and some music from Star Wars, notably the "Imperial March" from The Empire Strikes Back. It's very noticeable once you're aware of it).

After a stretch of rainy, then very hot, days and nights, I was finally able to do some early-morning observing Sunday. Regulus was easily visible just to the lower left of blazing Venus (the pair will be closest together October 10).  That evening, the waning gibbous Moon was only a few degrees from bright Jupiter.

The next big event is the annular ("ring of fire") eclipse on Saturday, October 14 (such an eclipse would be total, except that the moon is a little too far away to cover the sun fully, leaving a ring around the moon if you're in the path). The path of annularity moves from the Pacific Northwest to the southeast, leaving the US from Texas.

Your location determines what you will see and when. Various websites will offer times and details for your location (for example, https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2023-october-14). Note that eye protection is a must throughout the event.