In the Sky during August

  August will be an interesting month in the sky. For the first time in a long time, the evening sky will be almost devoid of planets. Mars will be a dying ember that will soon be lost in the twilight glow, and Saturn will not come into view until the late evening. With the absence of planets, it is a good time to visit the bright stars of summer. To make sure that we get our bearings, we will start with the Big Dipper.     During August, it will hang diagonally in the northwestern sky.