Bhubaneswar: Astronomy enthusiasts and stargazers can look forward to watching several spectacular celestial events this month, including Perseid meteor showers on Aug 12 and 13, a supermoon on Aug 19 and a unique alignment of six planets on Aug 28. However, cloudy skies may prove to be an obstacle, experts said.
“The Perseid meteor showers are always a treat for skywatchers.During the celestial event, as many as 100 meteors will be sighted in an hour. This year we are expecting a particularly impressive show if the skies remain clear,” said Subhendu Pattnaik, former deputy director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium here.
It will be followed by the first supermoon (blue moon) of the season on Aug 19. It is the second full moon in a calendar month and will appear larger and brighter than usual. “Supermoons are always spectacular. They give us a chance to see the moon at its closest approach to earth, appearing larger in the sky. Its a perfect opportunity for both amateur and professional photographers,” said Pattnaik.
To cap off the month, an extraordinary planetary alignment will occur with Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn visible together in the morning sky.
This offers a unique opportunity to spot multiple planets at once though a telescope will be needed to spot the distant ones.

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