Sun, Moon, and Stars: August 2002

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

August 2002 Overview Week by Week Go to week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Major phenomena 1 Last Quarter 8 New Moon 15 First Quarter 22 Full Moon 31 Last Quarter UT (universal time) Other Months Month February JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember Year 20072006200520042003200220012000 (available through 3/2007) Celestial Links Astronomical terms Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset Equinoxes and Solstices Eclipses in 2002 Calendar 2002 Universal Time Visit the Astronomy Center for more on the universe, the solar system, and related astronomical phenomena

August 2002—Week 1 (Aug. 1-5)

8/1:	1000 UT, 6 am EDT LAST QUARTER
8/2:	0100 UT, 9 pm EDT (Aug. 1) Neptune is at opposition, that is, Neptune and the Sun are aligned on opposite sides of Earth.
8/5:	0400 UT, 12 am EDT (midnight) Saturn is 2 degrees south of the Moon.

August 2002—Week 2 (Aug. 6-12)

8/6:	0400 UT, 12 am EDT (midnight) Mercury is 0 degrees 9 minutes north of Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo.
8/8:	1900 UT, 3 pm EDT NEW MOON
8/10:	0100 UT, 9 pm EDT (Aug. 9) Mercury is 4 degrees south of the Moon. 2200 UT, 6 pm EDT Mars is in conjunction with the Sun, that is, Mars and Earth are aligned on opposite sides of the Sun. 2300 UT, 7 pm EDT The Moon is at its perigee, or closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.
8/11:	2200 UT, 6 pm EDT Venus is 6 degrees south of the Moon.
8/12:	1200 UT, 8 am EDT Pallas, the second-largest asteroid, is at opposition, that is, Pallas and the Sun are aligned on opposite sides of Earth.
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August 2002—Week 3 (Aug. 13-19)

8/15:	1000 UT, 6 am EDT FIRST QUARTER
8/17:	1500 UT, 11 am EDT Ceres, the largest asteroid, appears to be motionless in the sky as its direct motion changes to apparent backward, or retrograde, motion.
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August 2002—Week 4 (Aug. 20-26)

8/20:	0100 UT, 9 pm EDT (Aug. 19) Uranus is at opposition, that is, Neptune and the Sun are aligned on opposite sides of Earth.
8/21:	0400 UT, 12 am EDT (midnight) Neptune is 4 degrees north of the Moon.
8/22:	1300 UT, 9 am EDT Venus is at its greatest elongation, or angular distance from the Sun, at 46 degrees east of the Sun. 1400 UT, 10 am EDT Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon. 2200 UT, 6 pm EDT FULL MOON
8/26:	1800 UT, 2 pm EDT The Moon is at its apogee, or farthest point from Earth in its monthly orbit.
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August 2002—Week 5 (Aug. 27-31)

8/27:	2000 UT, 4 pm EDT Pluto appears to be motionless in the sky as its direct motion changes to apparent backward, or retrograde, motion.
8/31:	0300 UT, 11 pm EDT (Aug. 30) LAST QUARTER
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