Sun, Moon, and Stars: August 2002

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff Updated by an Factmonster Editor on February 21, 2017

Major phenomena

Last Quarter

New Moon

First Quarter

Full Moon

Last Quarter

UT (universal time)

Other Months

Celestial Links

Astronomical terms

Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset

Equinoxes and Solstices

Eclipses in 2002

Calendar 2002

Universal Time

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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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