DECATUR, IL. (WAND) - There's a lot going on in August. All you have to do is look up! To start the month this weekend, the planet Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation, or its highest apparent separation from the Sun. It will be visible about a half-hour to 45 minutes before sunrise in the eastern sky (low elevation). After this weekend, it will be difficult to see Mercury with the naked eye since it will move closer to the Sun. Â
The Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of the 12th, after midnight. This year is expected to be quite a show with 50-100 fast meteors and fireballs per hour. Â
While we do miss out on the solar eclipse this year (totality is over parts of Greenland, Iceland, Russia and Spain), central Illinois will be treated to a partial lunar eclipse. Check back in later this month to see whether clouds will shroud the lunar eclipse on the 27th. Â
In the meantime, stay sweaty, stay safe and stay weather-aware.Â
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