August skywatching guide for Metro Detroit

✨ Spot brilliant Venus. Look low in the western sky 30 to 60 minutes after sunset Friday through Sunday. Find the brightest "star" in the evening sky. That's Venus!

👋 Catch the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction. If you have a clear enough view to the east just before sunrise Saturday morning, look low on the horizon for Jupiter and Mercury, unusually close together.

• Binoculars could help you spot the fainter planet, Mercury.
• They'll be just about a moon's width apart, per EarthSky.org. That means if you hold your arm straight out and raise your pinky, you'd be able to cover both planets with it.

🌕 Don't miss the lunar eclipse. A deep partial lunar eclipse will darken nearly all of the full Sturgeon Moon on Aug. 27-28.

• Expect the Moon to appear reddish overnight as it slips into Earth's shadow.

• Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to watch.
• It'll reach its maximum for Metro Detroiters at 12:12am Aug. 28, though clouds could obscure the view.

What's next: If you missed the recent Perseids meteor shower, mark your calendar for the Draconids, peaking the night of Oct. 8-9.

• Caveat: They're less active than the Perseids.

Pro tips: Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark, put your phone away and scan the whole sky.