Perseids Meteor Shower Peak, Other Sky Events To Watch In August
August 12-13: Perseids Meteor Shower Peaks
The Perseids, one of the most popular annual meteor showers, will peak on the night of August 12-13. While active from late July to August 24, this two-night window is expected to be the most intense, with up to 150 meteors per hour or 2-3 per minute, according to Space.com.
This year, the full moon on August 9 may interfere with viewing, washing out fainter meteors.
Perseids Meteor Shower To Be Visible In India
Viewers in India are advised to head to darker, rural areas for better visibility. Ideal viewing time is from midnight to just before sunrise on August 13. Regions such as Spiti, Ladakh, Rann of Kutch, and remote parts of Karnataka or Uttarakhand are recommended.
Those who miss the peak may still catch a few meteors in the days following, especially between August 16 and 20, when moonlight begins to fade.
August 26: Mars And The Moon Conjunction
On August 26, Mars will appear next to a thin crescent moon in the western sky around 8.15 pm IST. Visible low on the horizon, the pair will stay close for about an hour. No telescope or binoculars are needed.
Planetary Viewings
August 11-12: Venus-Jupiter Conjunction
Venus and Jupiter will appear only one degree apart in the eastern sky before sunrise, according to NASA's JPL.
August 12 (early morning): Venus and Jupiter Rise Together
Both planets will rise side by side, appearing like two bright stars.
August 19-20: Crescent Moon With Venus and Jupiter
A thin crescent moon will join the two planets in the eastern sky before sunrise.
August 19: Mercury At Greatest Elongation
Mercury will be at its most visible this month in the eastern sky before sunrise. It appears low on the horizon.
The Dumbbell Nebula
The Dumbbell Nebula (M27), one of the easiest planetary nebulae to spot, will be visible all month within the Summer Triangle, high overhead during early nights. It appears as a faint patch of light and marks the remains of a dying star.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible at various times this month. Mercury appears low in the east later in August, Venus and Jupiter shine bright in the eastern sky before sunrise, Mars is visible in the west after sunset, and Saturn rises late at night, shifting earlier as the month progresses.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
These 15 science facts are so bizarre, you'll think we're lying (but we're not)
You know that feeling when someone tells you something so wild, so ridiculously unexpected, that you have to double-check if it's actually true? That's this list. These aren't TikTok myths or clickbait fluff, these are legit, research-backed science facts that feel like the universe is pranking us. Weird but 100% real: From radioactive bananas to space-faring spiders, explore the strange side of science that sounds like fiction but is surprisingly true. So get ready to rethink everything you know about life, space, your body and even bananas. Yep, bananas. 15 weird science facts that seem fake but are real Bananas are slightly radioactive Because they contain potassium-40, a naturally occurring isotope, bananas give off small amounts of radiation . You'd need to eat millions to feel the effects but it's still wild that your breakfast is glowing, scientifically speaking. Your stomach digests itself every few days If it didn't replace its lining regularly, your stomach's acid would start digesting you. That's why it sheds and regenerates the mucosal lining every 3–4 days. Your stomach is basically a self-cleaning oven. There are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way NASA estimates there are 100–400 billion stars in the Milky Way. But Earth? Over 3 trillion trees . Forests are winning the numbers game (for now). A teaspoon of neutron star weighs more than Mount Everest Neutron stars are the collapsed cores of massive stars. Just one teaspoon of that ultra-dense matter would weigh about 6 billion tons. That's heavier than all the cars, people, and animals on Earth combined. You can survive in space, for about 15 seconds Without a suit, you won't explode. But you will lose consciousness in seconds due to lack of oxygen. Your body starts to swell and freeze, not exactly a fun way to go, but not instant either. Wombat poop is cube-shaped Yes, cubes. Wombats evolved to produce cube-shaped droppings that don't roll away, helpful for marking territory. It's an engineering marvel inside an animal. Octopuses have 3 hearts and 9 brains One brain controls the nervous system , and each arm has a mini-brain. Two hearts pump blood to the gills, one to the body. Basically, they're the multi-core processors of the ocean. Your body glows but only in total darkness Humans naturally emit a very faint glow due to biochemical reactions. It's about 1,000 times weaker than what our eyes can detect, but it's real and visible to ultra-sensitive cameras. Sharks existed before trees Sharks have been around for 400 million years. Trees came 50 million years later. So technically, a shark could throw shade at a tree for being the new guy. There's a species of jellyfish that's biologically immortal The Turritopsis dohrnii can revert to its juvenile stage after maturity, basically hitting reset on aging. It doesn't have to die of old age. Jealous yet? Spiders have been to space and survived NASA sent spiders into orbit to study how they spin webs in zero gravity. Fun fact: their webs were messier in space, but they adapted fast. Astronauts said their behavior changed depending on light direction. Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins Dolphins: 10 minutes. Sloths: 40 minutes. They slow their heart rate and chill so hard they could win a breath-holding contest underwater. Hot water can freeze faster than cold It's called the Mpemba effect . Under the right conditions, hot water can freeze more quickly than cold. Scientists are still debating exactly why, but it's not a myth. Lightning is five times hotter than the sun's surface A bolt of lightning can reach 30,000°C (54,000°F). That's about five times hotter than the surface of the sun. Next time you see a storm, just remember you're watching a plasma torch in the sky. Your DNA could stretch to Pluto and back If you unraveled all the DNA in your body's 37 trillion cells, it could stretch over 10 billion miles. That's enough to reach Pluto and return. Multiple times. Science isn't just about lab coats and beakers, it's full of strange, mind-bending facts that make life feel like sci-fi. So the next time someone says, 'You won't believe this,' maybe you should. Truth really is stranger than fiction. Also read| Dinosaurs with weaponised skulls: New study uncovers how predator heads evolved into killing machines
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
NASA Wants Nuclear Reactor On Moon By 2030. Here's Why That Matters
The first space race was about flags and footprints. Now, decades later, landing on the Moon is old news. The new race is to build there, and doing so hinges on power. In April 2025, China reportedly unveiled plans to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon by 2035. This plant would support its planned international lunar research station. The United States countered in August, when acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy reportedly suggested a US reactor would be operational on the Moon by 2030. While it might feel like a sudden sprint, this isn't exactly breaking news. NASA and the Department of Energy have spent years quietly developing small nuclear power systems to power lunar bases, mining operations and long-term habitats. As a space lawyer focused on long-term human advancement into space, I see this not as an arms race but as a strategic infrastructure race. And in this case, infrastructure is influential. A lunar nuclear reactor may sound dramatic, but it's neither illegal nor unprecedented. If deployed responsibly, it could allow countries to peacefully explore the Moon, fuel their economic growth and test out technologies for deeper space missions. But building a reactor also raises critical questions about access and power. The legal framework already exists Nuclear power in space isn't a new idea. Since the 1960s, the US and the Soviet Union have relied on radioisotope generators that use small amounts of radioactive elements - a type of nuclear fuel - to power satellites, Mars rovers and the Voyager probes. The United Nations' 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, a nonbinding resolution, recognises that nuclear energy may be essential for missions where solar power is insufficient. This resolution sets guidelines for safety, transparency and international consultation. Nothing in international law prohibits the peaceful use of nuclear power on the Moon. But what matters is how countries deploy it. And the first country to succeed could shape the norms for expectations, behaviors and legal interpretations related to lunar presence and influence. Why being first matters The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, ratified by all major spacefaring nations including the US, China and Russia, governs space activity. Its Article IX requires that states act with "due regard to the corresponding interests of all other States Parties." That statement means if one country places a nuclear reactor on the Moon, others must navigate around it, legally and physically. In effect, it draws a line on the lunar map. If the reactor anchors a larger, long-term facility, it could quietly shape what countries do and how their moves are interpreted legally, on the Moon and beyond. Other articles in the Outer Space Treaty set similar boundaries on behavior, even as they encourage cooperation. They affirm that all countries have the right to freely explore and access the Moon and other celestial bodies, but they explicitly prohibit territorial claims or assertions of sovereignty. At the same time, the treaty acknowledges that countries may establish installations such as bases - and with that, gain the power to limit access. While visits by other countries are encouraged as a transparency measure, they must be preceded by prior consultations. Effectively, this grants operators a degree of control over who can enter and when. Building infrastructure is not staking a territorial claim. No one can own the Moon, but one country setting up a reactor could shape where and how others operate - functionally, if not legally. Infrastructure is influence Building a nuclear reactor establishes a country's presence in a given area. This idea is especially important for resource-rich areas such as the lunar south pole, where ice found in perpetually shadowed craters could fuel rockets and sustain lunar bases. These sought-after regions are scientifically vital and geopolitically sensitive, as multiple countries want to build bases or conduct research there. Building infrastructure in these areas would cement a country's ability to access the resources there and potentially exclude others from doing the same. Critics may worry about radiation risks. Even if designed for peaceful use and contained properly, reactors introduce new environmental and operational hazards, particularly in a dangerous setting such as space. But the U.N. guidelines do outline rigorous safety protocols, and following them could potentially mitigate these concerns. Why nuclear? Because solar has limits The Moon has little atmosphere and experiences 14-day stretches of darkness. In some shadowed craters, where ice is likely to be found, sunlight never reaches the surface at all. These issues make solar energy unreliable, if not impossible, in some of the most critical regions. A small lunar reactor could operate continuously for a decade or more, powering habitats, rovers, 3D printers and life-support systems. Nuclear power could be the linchpin for long-term human activity. And it's not just about the Moon - developing this capability is essential for missions to Mars, where solar power is even more constrained. A call for governance, not alarm The United States has an opportunity to lead not just in technology but in governance. If it commits to sharing its plans publicly, following Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirming a commitment to peaceful use and international participation, it will encourage other countries to do the same. The future of the Moon won't be determined by who plants the most flags. It will be determined by who builds what, and how. Nuclear power may be essential for that future. Building transparently and in line with international guidelines would allow countries to more safely realize that future. A reactor on the Moon isn't a territorial claim or a declaration of war. But it is infrastructure. And infrastructure will be how countries display power - of all kinds - in the next era of space exploration.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
NASA's Curiosity Rover Spots Coral-Shaped Rock On Mars
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover recently sent back black and white images of a rock on the Martian surface that looks remarkably like a piece of coral. According to the US space agency, the light colored, wind-eroded rock was found in the Gale Crater, which is a large impact basin on Mars. The rock is about 1-inch-wide (2.5 centimetres) and features intricate branches - just like a coral typically found at the bottom of the ocean. According to NASA, the recently discovered coral-like rock is believed to be a billion years old. The colourless image of the rock was taken by Curiosity's Remote Micro Imager - a high-resolution telescopic camera that is mounted on the rover. "Curiosity has found many small features like this one, which formed billions of years ago when liquid water still existed on Mars," NASA said in a press note. "Water carried dissolved minerals into rock cracks and later dried, leaving the hardened minerals behind. Eons of sandblasting by the wind wore away the surrounding rock, producing the unique shapes seen today," the space agency explained. "This common process, seen extensively on Earth, has produced fantastic shapes on Mars, including a flower-shaped rock," the statement continued. Previously, NASA's Curiosity rover discovered a similar-looking object last month. Nicknamed "Paposo", the strangely-shaped rock measures about 2 inches (5 cm). It is a tiny, flower-shaped object that the rover photographed in Gale Crater. Notably, Curiosity landed on Mars in 2012. The rover's mission, led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is to scan the Martian surface for any signs that it was habitable at any point in the distant past. According to LiveScience, so far, Curiosity has traversed roughly 35 kilometres of the 154 km crater. Its path is meandering and slow, because it has to stop to drill into rocks, collect samples and gather data. So far, there is no definitive evidence of life on Mars. However, ongoing and future missions will continue to explore the Red Planet's habitability and potential for life.
