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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through August 29th, 2019. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.

The planets Jupiter and Saturn remain perfectly positioned for viewing as soon as the sky starts to darken.

Jupiter is currently the brightest object visible between sunset and moonrise. It is close to the meridian in the south during evening twilight and it occupies the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. Saturn is located to the lower left of Jupiter, in the southeast sky and it gleams as a bright golden star on the eastern side of the constellation Sagittarius the Archer.

Binoculars may let you glimpse the four largest of Jupiter’s many moons, while a telescope will let you observe the striped structure of Jupiter’s clouds. Jupiter’s colorful oval storm, the Great Red Spot, is visible through telescopes in the Pacific Time zone at 8:30 p.m. on the 23rd, 25th, and 28th. On the 24th, a telescope may also let you observe the shadow of Jupiter’s large moon Europa as it crosses Jupiter’s disk between 8:30 and 11:01 p.m.

Use a telescope to observe Saturn’s beautiful rings. Several of Saturn’s moons may also be visible.

Our own moon wanes from last quarter to crescent, and it can be observed before sunrise until the 28th. It is new on the 29th. It passes the bright orange star Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull on the 24th, and it is below the bright stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini the Twins on the 27th. If you have a clear horizon to the east-northeast, use binoculars to see the moon’s slender crescent just below the Beehive Star Cluster–also known as M44–in Cancer the Crab on the 28th at about 5:00 a.m.

The International Space Station will make consecutive passes over southern California before sunrise on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday the 26th, the ISS will travel from the west-northwest horizon to the northeast between 5:53 and 6:00 a.m. It will appear highest, 48 degrees above the northwest horizon, at 5:56 a.m. On the following morning, Tuesday the 27th, the space station will suddenly appear as it enters sunlight already 36 degrees above the southwest horizon at 5:06 a.m. After passing directly overhead a minute later, the brilliant satellite will disappear close to the southeast horizon at 5:11 a.m.

Free views of the Sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday, before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for the schedule. The next free public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, September 7 between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Follow The Sky Report, All Space Considered, and Griffith Observatory on Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.

From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.