Mercury - is very low in the northeast just before dawn at the beginning of the month, and rather bright at -1.3 magnitude. However, it quickly slips into the glare of the rising Sun and is completely lost from view, heading for superior conjunction on the 15th.

Venus - starts August perilously close to the setting Sun in the west and difficult to observe. Probably lost entirely by the end of the first week, inferior conjunction is on the 18th, after which the planet will re-emerge in the morning eastern sky in the last few days of the month.

Mars - rising before midnight in many locations (at least in standard time), Mars has become an "evening" planet and its observability is increasing. Look for it in the eastern sky between the Pleiades and Aldebaran in Taurus. It should be up and visible at midmonth by 1 a.m. (Daylight Time).

Jupiter - dominates August evenings this year. Still in Scorpius and quite close to Antares, it starts the evening in the southern sky and sets by about midnight or one a.m. (depending on time of month and the observer's geographic location). Although dimming slightly, it is a brilliant object and a magnificent sight in a small telescope.

For detailed postions of Jupiter's Moons try this interactive javascript utility.

Saturn - is in conjunction with the Sun on August 21, Saturn is a lost cause this month. Very sharp-eyed observers may catch it in the first day or two of the month, very low in the west just after sunset, but after that it cannot be seen until it re-emerges from the Sun's glare in the eastern sky by early September.

The Cassini spacecraft continues its observation of Saturn and its many moons and rings. For the latest images from Cassini, see:

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm

For detailed postions of Saturn's Moons try this interactive javascript utility.

Uranus - moves closer to Phi Aquarii (magnitude 4.2) during the course of August. It is just 15' north of Phi on the night of August 24. Uranus reaches opposition next month and at 5.7 magnitude is visible to the unaided eye from a dark site.

A finder chart for Uranus can be found on page 66 of the May issue of Sky & Telescope.

Neptune - is located less than 3 degrees northeast of Iota Capricorni. It leads Uranus by about an hour and reaches opposition on the night of August 13.

A finder chart for Neptune can be found on page 66 of the May issue of Sky & Telescope.

Pluto - is located in Sagittarius, 7.6 degrees northeast of M20 (the Trifid Nebula) and 3.7 degrees northeast of the bright open cluster M23.

Eris (pronounced "EE-ris") - formerly known as Xena, 2003 UB313, and "the tenth planet" - is magnitude 19 in central Cetus, high in the south during evening.

For detailed information please visit Astronomical Delights

Comet C/2006 VZ13 (LINEAR) - travels southward through Virgo this month. As it does so, the comet passes to the east of the galaxies NGC 4793, NGC 4697, and M104.

Asteroid 4 Vesta - is 8' south of the fourth magnitude star Psi Ophiuchi on the night of August 18. The minor planet passes just north of Jupiter during the last week of the month.

For a finder chart, see: http://skytonight.com/observing/home/Vesta

Perseid meteor shower - is at its best for western hemisphere observers during the early morning of August 13. Expect to see one meteor or more per minute from a good dark site. The radiant of the shower is located a few degrees to the northeast of the Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884) in Perseus. Since the New Moon occurs on August 12, conditions are ideal for viewing the Perseids this year.

A total lunar eclipse occurs on August 28 - This eclipse favors astronomers west of the Mississippi. Those of us in the eastern United States won't be able to view the entire eclipse, since the Moon sets during totality. Partial eclipse starts at 4:51 a.m. and ends at 8:24 a.m. EDT. Totality lasts for 91 minutes, running from 5:52 to 7:23 a.m. EDT. Mid-eclipse occurs at 6:37 a.m. EDT. Because the Moon will pass through the center of the shadow of the Earth, a darker than normal eclipsed lunar disk is expected at totality.